NPI2013_Asia-Pacific

Providing top-quality English language editing worldwideHave you considered Nature Publishing Group Language Editing (NPG Language Editing),a premium quality English-language editing service provided by Nature Publishing Group?NPG Language Editing concentrates on improving the clarity and sense of the English in yourmanuscript so that your research results stand out. Editors focus on correcting spelling, grammar,usage and punctuation errors, changing improper language and rephrasing sentences that soundawkward or unnatural. Furthermore, thanks to their scientific training, they will point out language inyour document that is vague or confusing and will work on style to make the article soundmore professional.Our online submission process is simple and secure. Each user has a personal account to keepmanuscripts confidential and payments secure.Enter referral code “LE_AD14’’ to take advantage of your 10%discount. Upload your manuscript today!languageediting.nature.com

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICRIKENFROM BASIC RESEARCH TO SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONWith five major campuses in Japan andcollaborations with institutions all overthe world, RIKEN is Japan’s powerhousefor basic and applied research. As thecountry’s largest research organization,RIKEN is playing an important role in promotinginnovation, and is strengtheningits commitment to helping solve thebiggest and most pressing challenges ofour time.A home for basic researchRIKEN has made dramatic advances inbasic research and continues to takeresearch to ever higher levels in a vastnumber of scientific fields includingnuclear physics, neuroscience, materialsscience, computing, plant science, genomicsand developmental biology. Every year,RIKEN welcomes outstanding studentsand junior researchers from Japan and allover the world to join its talented team.RIKEN’s high-quality, high-performanceresearch environment, combined with aunique bottom-up approach to scientificinnovation, has enabled it to foster an environmentin which researchers can thrive.Top-notch facilitiesRIKEN is home to a number of worldleadinglarge-scale facilities. The Kcomputer, one of the world’s fastestsupercomputers, has already deliveredoutstanding results in fields such as neuralnetwork simulation and drug discovery.SACLA, Japan’s X-ray free electron laser,is set to deliver data at unprecedentedresolution on the structures of atomsand molecules. The Radioisotope BeamFactory (RIBF) is being employed byresearchers from all over the world to betterunderstand the atomic nucleus andthe creation of the universe.InnovationRIKEN is promoting innovation in manyareas of special interest, such as regenerativemedicine, technology for the lifeand medical sciences, emerging materialsand green innovation. A number ofnew centers were created in 2013 to takeon this challenge. RIKEN is committed toensuring that its research in science andtechnology is put to the service of societythrough technology transfers andpartnerships with the private sector.Innovation in medical technologyThe RIKEN Center for Life ScienceTechnologies is an example of howRIKEN is developing new methods tounderstand and treat the human body,providing the fundamental buildingblocks for the development of newpharmaceutical and medical applicationsthat will turn preemptive andpersonalized medicine into reality. Andat the RIKEN Center for DevelopmentalBiology, researchers are investigating thegeneration of human induced stem cellsand their use in regenerative medicine;in 2013 RIKEN launched the first clinicalresearch designed to test the use ofinduced pluripotent stem cells to treathuman disease.Public engagementRIKEN recognizes the need to engagewith society through education andcommunication. It is dedicated tomaking the best of its research accessibleto the public, engaging with thelocal community and fostering a passionfor science among young people.Thousands of visitors come to RIKENevery year for guided tours of its facilities.RIKEN scientists engage withtheir local communities by presentinglectures and workshops in museumsand schools and organizing activities atscience fairs and festivals.RIKENwww.riken.jpAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

Elite communicationservices for researchersand scientific organizationsMacmillan Science Communication (MSC) aims to meet the growing demand from scientists and institutions aroundthe world for high-quality science communication services. MSC is an exclusive partner of Nature Publishing Group,part of Macmillan Science and Education.Language EditingNature Publishing Group Language Editing service focuses on improving your writtenEnglish so that your results stand out. You’ll receive high quality editing from native-English speakers familiar with the language conventions of your scientific field.Enter referral code ‘’LEAD2013’’ to take advantage of your 10% discount.Scientific EditingMSC provides in-depth developmental editing of scientific text by Nature-standardeditors. The detailed feedback and incisive advice on journal manuscripts and grantapplications, will help maximize their impact. Give yourself the best chance ofpublishing in high–impact journals by using MSC Scientific Editing.Enter referral code ‘’SEAD2013’’ to take advantage of your 10% discount.Training WorkshopsOne-or two-day workshops that provide practical advice to help scientistscommunicate their research to a wide audience in international, peer-reviewedjournals. Trainers are current or former editors of Nature journals.Custom SolutionsThe highest editorial and production standards, coupled with a comprehensiveglobal reach, enable MSC to deliver your message on any platform, in any language,anywhere in the world. MSC’s tailored communication solutions give optimalpromotion of your scientific achievements.Maximize the impact of your research with Macmillan Science Communicationmsc.macmillan.comMSC offers competitive rates to customers purchasing services for their faculty or department.Exclusive partner of Nature Publishing Group,publisher of Nature and Scientific American

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATUREMetal oxide makeoverIn 2004, Akira Ohtomo and his colleaguediscovered an astounding phenomenon.A metallic interface between two insulatingoxides can conduct electricity withsimilar capacity to a silicon semiconductor.Metal oxides got a whole new look.They used to be considered a “sort ofceramics,” says Ohtomo, a materials researcherat Tokyo Tech, “not an electronicmaterial that could be the central componentof logic circuits.”The idea that these transparent circuitscould function as semiconductorsthrew the door open to a wide range ofapplications, including invisible electronicsdevices. Ohtomo’s team verified thisin another transparent material in 2007.From transparent displays to invisibleelectronic tags and hidden security sensors,the discovery could extend the informationtransmitting and reading devicesthat characterize the “ubiquitous networksociety” to the realm of the unseen.But there is a hitch. The high quality filmsneeded to create the effect can, with currenttechnology, be created only on singlecrystalline substrates with a typical size often square millimetres. The small size ofdevices greatly limits the applications. “Tothis end, we have a big challenge—perfectepitaxial growth on a non-crystallinesubstrate,” says Ohtomo.Ohtomo is taking on the challenge, designingsemiconductors that can stay intacteven when grown on large glass substrates,by enlisting the latest nanomanipulationtechnology. If crystalline materials are depositedon a glass surface, random nuclei forma polycrystalline film. Ohtomo found thatperiodic relief structures added to the glasssurface can bring about an ordered, preferentialorientation. In some of these studies,tilting and twisting of each grain was foundto decrease systematically as the period ofthe relief structures was decreased to severalmicrometres. With current nanofabricationtechniques, that resolution can be reducedeven further, to several tens of nanometres.“It may be possible to make large single crystallinedomains on glass substrates,” he says.Ohtomo’s research on electronic reconstructionat oxide interfaces has implicationsfor various areas of electronics, such asmagnetic tunnel junctions and Josephsonjunctions. And many intriguing physicalphenomena, such as high-Tc superconductivity,ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity, andthermoelectricity, also occur in naturallylayered structures of transition metal oxides.“This gives rise to the emergent interest in‘epitaxial’ design of new compounds uponthe atomic-scale layer-by-layer growth ofartificial superlattices,” says Ohtomo.To extend the applications, Ohtomo’steam developed an ultra-high vacuumpulsed-laser deposition system equippedwith reflection high-energy electron diffraction.This system can rapidly optimize thegrowth temperature using an infrared semiconductorlaser heater to make large temperaturegradients. The result is the powerto create atomically abrupt heterointerfacesand nearly identical oxygen stoichiometry.There is much more work to do but the effortgot a huge boost in 2012 when Ohtomowas picked as a leading researcher of thematerials exploration group at the MaterialsResearch Center for Element Strategy. Hehas also been supported by the university’sGlobal Center of Excellence in chemistry.Tokyo Tech “offers flexibility for pursuing materialsresearch and many opportunities forcollaboration,” says Ohtomo.With more support, Ohtomo is confidentthat new nanoscale manipulationtechniques will open the window of possibilityeven further. “This work has been ademonstration of the power of nanoscienceto create new physical phenomena,”he says. “Recently developed techniques totailor new materials, atom-by-atom, shouldcontinue to reveal new effects at an everacceleratingpace.”Department of Applied Chemistrywww.apc.titech.ac.jp/~aohtomo/english/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICThe earliest greenhouse gas producersThe impact of recent human activity onthe atmosphere consumes the energyof many a scientist, but life on earth—inthe form of microbes—has long beeninteracting with the earth’s atmosphere.Thanks to the work of Tokyo Tech’s YuichiroUeno, our understanding of that relationshipis extending deeper and deeper intothe earth’s evolution.Ueno researches the earth’s early biosphere,its early atmosphere, and theinteraction between them. His teamdevelops techniques for determiningstable isotopic ratios of carbon andsulfur in sedimentary rock. Those ratioscan then be used as “tracers” for determiningwhat kind of microbes and whatatmospheric processes were active at agiven time in history.“I’m a geochemist developinganalytical techniques for tracing thepast biogeochemical cycling from thegeologic record,” he says.For example, analyses of thedistributions of four sulfur isotopes inhydrothermal rocks in Australia producedevidence of sulfate-reducing microbesin the early Archaean era, some 3.5billion years ago, much earlier thanpreviously thought. Likewise, carbonisotopes in Australian fluid inclusions gaveevidence that microbes were producingmethane around the same period. Itwas the first direct geological evidenceof a phenomenon that might havebeen important in ameliorating severetemperatures resulting from decreasedsolar luminosity at the time. “These studiesdemonstrate that specific microbes wereactive in submarine hot springs 3.5 billionyears ago,” says Ueno.Atmospheric studies complement thebiosphere studies. For example, Ueno’ssurvey of geological sulfur isotopeshelped to resolve the mystery about whythe earth did not freeze over during theArchaean period. His team found that elevatedlevels of carbonyl sulfide were ableto retain solar energy in the atmosphere,warming the earth. “New greenhousegases were present in the earth’s early atmosphere,”says Ueno. The study also suggestsa causal explanation for the periodof glaciation that followed—a decreasein the amount of carbonyl sulfide in theatmosphere.“Our results make us realize that theinteraction between microbial activity andenvironment, particularly atmosphericcomposition, is more important thanpreviously thought,” says Ueno.But many mysteries remain. “We still donot adequately understand what causedthe change of microbial ecosystems andthereby how the change influenced theearth’s climate through its history,” he says.“We need more data.”In the future, Ueno wants to focus theefforts of his large team of postdoctoralresearchers and graduate students onquantitatively studying how the earlyatmosphere was reducing. For example,they will be looking at when and how thereducing atmosphere started oxidizingmolecular oxygen.The project would have beenimpossible if not for the geologicallargesse that Ueno’s team has assembledat Tokyo Tech. He has spent over adecade sampling and carrying out fieldstudies, helping the university to archivemore than 200,000 rock samples. Uenoalso played a part in establishing a newEarth-Life Science Institute with a stableisotope laboratory for developing newtracers that will enable them to look atthe samples in new ways and decodenew microbial activities and atmosphericprocesses. ‘These are pure scientificstudies aimed at understanding how theearth’s environment was so different frompresent day earth,” says Ueno.Department of Earth and Planetary Scienceswww.geo.titech.ac.jp/lab/ueno/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NPIASIA-PACIFICThe widening horizonIn 2013, the Asia-Pacific region increased its spending on science, upped its share of NPIoutput, and broadened the scope of its research. While Japan still leads the Asia-PacificNPI, China is snapping at its heels. Of the smaller nations, Singapore is starting to live up tothe aspirations laid out by its government to become a state of innovation.Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose — the 2013 Asia-PacificNature Publishing Index (NPI) turns the old expression on itshead. On the surface, this latest snapshot of the regional sciencelandscape appears similar to last year’s. But there’s a lot happeningbehind the bare numbers.The number of articles contributed by Asia-Pacific researchers to theNPI has increased by 36% from 2012, and the region’s share of the globalNPI has also risen, from 28% to 31%.The order of the top five Asia-Pacific countries is the same as for the pastfive years: Japan, China, Australia, South Korea and Singapore. But realsigns of change are emerging. In 2013, for the first time, China contributedmore articles to Nature journals than did Japan, although China still had alower corrected count (CC). Also for the first time the Chinese Academyof Sciences (CAS) bettered the region’s perennial leader, The University ofTokyo on corrected count. China is on pace to take over as the top Asia-Pacific contributor to the NPI within the next two or three years.Further down the list, Singapore’s multi-billion dollar research anddevelopment investment programme has been steadily increasing overthe past decade and its NPI output almost doubled in 2013. Havingcatapulted its first institution, the National University of Singapore(NUS), into the Global Top 100 in 2012, Singapore boosted its presencethis year with the addition of Nanyang Technological University (NTU).These two — along with Singapore’s governmental Agency for Science,Technology and Research (A*STAR) — have pushed aside some mucholder institutions from larger countries for places in the regional top 20.BASIC DIFFERENCESOne of the key drivers of the output increase in the NPI for Asia-Pacific nations has been growth in the still-young journal NatureCommunications, which now accounts for 35% of all papers in theNPI, rising to 44% of the NPI Asia-Pacific. This online-only journalpublishes papers across a broad range of disciplines, albeit with a lesserscientific reach, than Nature or any of the specialized research journals.Just over a quarter of articles in Nature featured authors from the Asia-Pacific region, compared to 39% of articles in Nature Communications;only Nature Genetics had a larger share of Asia-Pacific authors. So theinfluence of Asia-Pacific science, while growing, may not be as greatas the raw NPI numbers suggest. The region’s science community isacutely aware of this. In 2012, for instance, South Korea established itsInstitute for Basic Science (IBS) programme. The IBS is already showingits exploratory science credentials and is in eighth place in the countryhaving published nine articles in Nature titles in 2013 (page 26).Of the Asia-Pacific nations, Japan published the most papers inNature in 2013, with 73. The country has a strong scientific heritage, andalso boasts 16 scientific Nobel prizewinners, whereas China and SouthKorea have none. The NPI figures demonstrate this maturity in otherways. Japan topped the output in three subject categories in the NPI —physical sciences, life sciences, and earth and environmental sciences— showing that quality of its science is still unsurpassed in the region.But maturity can also mean a lack of youthful exuberance. Japan’s23.7% growth in NPI output in 2013 was the smallest increase of anyof the top five Asia-Pacific nations — following a five-year trend. Andat 0.44 CC per thousand researchers, Japan’s efficiency of production ofscience sits in the middle of the packOn the back of sheer numbers, China has become the heavyweight,publishing more papers in the NPI than any other country in theregion. And it is forging ahead technologically, with 2013 milestonesincluding: the world’s fastest computer; the world’s deepest particlephysics experiment; and landing an autonomous roving vehicle on themoon (page 20).But these headlines do not tell the whole story. Senior Chinesescientific figures, both within the country and outside, have expressedconcern that the country’s core technologies still mainly depend onforeign innovation. (Similar comments have been made about SouthKorea and Taiwan.) China has also been criticized for spendingsmall proportions of its expanding science and technology budgeton actual research, with large sums set aside for administration.Critics point to management systems that discourage innovation andpoorly-paid academics.These points are supported by NPI data,“On the back ofsheer numbers,China has becomethe heavyweight,publishing morepapers in theNPI than anyother country inthe region.”which shows China to have the lowestefficiency levels of the top five countries– 0.19 CC per thousand researchers. Andalthough the country’s increase in scienceoutput since 2009 has been impressive, inthe past year several countries — includingSouth Korea, Taiwan and Singapore — havesurpassed its growth rate.The Australian figures for 2013 show solidachievement (page 24). Its contributionto Nature journals grew by more than50%. The NPI data shows that the efficiency of its researchers iscompetitive, and it has the second highest level of internationalcollaboration in the region. The top Australian institutions areclimbing steadily up the world rankings, and three — the Universityof Melbourne, the Australian National University, and the Universityof Queensland — are in the regional top 20. Whether the nation’soutput continues to grow, particularly in its strength of environmentalscience, will depend largely on the level of support from its newconservative government.South Korea could be one to watch in the NPI. With high levels ofinvestment in science and technology announced by both governmentand private enterprise, and the first papers emerging from its new IBSprogramme, the nation is on the verge of considerable expansion in basicscience (page 26). Already its output is growing faster than China’s, and itis third after Japan and China in both the physical sciences and chemistry.Singapore’s small population — a mere 0.4% of China’s — willalways pose difficulties for it in regional comparisons. But it has thefastest growth rate in science of any country in the region, high levelsof researcher efficiency and strong collaboration. Singapore is gaininga reputation for its innovation and in order to leverage this, much ofthe nation’s effort is concentrated in its three world-class researchinstitutions, NUS, NTU and A*STAR; other institutions do not figurein the upper echelons of the NPI (page 27). ■8 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPIRESEARCH OUTPUTThe size of the bubble corresponds to each country/territory's corrected count for 2013. The ratio of corrected count to number ofarticles is shown on the circumference: a shorter line signals more international collaborationsRatio of corrected count (CC)to article count (AC) (%)Relative sizebased on CCJapanAC: 462CC: 290.01PhilippinesAC: 2 / CC: 0.01MongoliaAC: 1 / CC: 0.02FijiAC: 1 / CC: 0.06IndonesiaAC: 3 / CC: 0.34CambodiaAC: 2 / CC: 0.50VietnamAC: 5 / CC: 0.54ThailandAC: 10 / CC: 0.66ChinaAC: 493CC: 245.19MalaysiaAC: 11 / CC: 1.35New ZealandAC: 33 / CC: 7.92ASIA-PACIFICOUTPUT2013IndiaAC: 40 / CC: 11.45TaiwanAC: 49 / CC: 18.89SingaporeAC: 116CC: 41.52South KoreaAC: 156CC: 66.89AustraliaAC: 264CC: 103.76NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 9

NPIASIA-PACIFICGROWTH IN THE NPIAlong with growth in the number of articles in the NPI, the share attributable to Asia-Pacific (AP) researchers has also increased.Total articles: 2,633AP articles: 530Total articles: 2,865AP articles: 638Total articles: 3,220AP articles: 856Total articles: 3,560AP articles: 1,009Total articles: 4,497AP articles: 1,37120.1%22.3%26.6%28.3%30.5%2009 2010 2011 2012 2013COLLABORATION TRENDSOver the past five years, article counts have increased for all the top eight countries/territories in the NPI. However, this growth is unevenly splitbetween articles wholly authored by scientists within one country/territory and articles that represent international collaborations.Japan20132009China201320092013Australia2009South Korea20132009Singapore20132009Taiwan2013SinglecountryMultinational20092013India20092013New Zealand20090 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500Article count10 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPIRESEARCH AREASEach country/territory’s share of the corrected count (CC) by thefollowing subject areas: chemistry, earth and environmental sciences,life sciences and physical sciences.OUTPUT GROWTHCharting the corrected count in absolute numbers shows the margin by whichJapan leads other countries/territories (top). However, seen as a relative change(bottom) the figures show improvement for Taiwan, China and Singapore.OtherTaiwanSingaporeSouth KoreaJapan300250200AustraliaChinaLife sciencesCC:422.91CC150100500×7OtherTaiwanSingaporeAustraliaSouth KoreaJapanPhysical sciencesCC:254.05Change in CC (2009 = 1)×6×5×4×3×2×1China02009 2010 2011 2012 2013OtherTaiwanSingaporeJapanSingaporeChinaTaiwanAustraliaIndiaSouth KoreaNew ZealandAustraliaChinaSouth KoreaJapanChemistryCC:137.42RESEARCHER EFFICIENCYDividing a country’s CC by its number of researchers gives a measure ofthe effectiveness of its scientists.1.2OtherTaiwanSouth KoreaNew ZealandChinaAustraliaJapanEarth andenvironmentalsciences CC:107.29Effectiveness (CC per thousand researchers)1.00.80.60.40.20SingaporeAustraliaJapanSouthKoreaChinaSOURCE: UNESCONATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 11

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATURETokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)LEADING THE WAY IN BASIC AND CLINICAL LIFE SCIENCERESEARCH AND EDUCATIONThere can be no doubting the pedigreeof Tokyo Medical and DentalUniversity (TMDU). Its headquarters is inOchanomizu, a part of the Japanese capitalknown for scholarship since the 17thcentury. It took over from its predecessor,the Tokyo National School of Dentistry,the nation’s first institute for dentistry education,in 1946. Since then, it has growninto one of the most influential medicalresearch institutions in the world.TMDU is ranked eighth in Japan, andin the top 300 worldwide in the TimesHigher Education (THE) World UniversityRankings 2013–2014. It scores especiallyhighly on the number of citations perresearch paper published by its staff.Yet the university has no plans to reston its laurels.Its goal is to become one of the top100 universities in the world withinthe next 10 years. One way it hopes toachieve this is through greater internationallinks. Personnel exchange agreementshave already been completedwith 77 universities in 26 countries, andoverseas education and research baseshave been established in Chile, Ghana,and Thailand. One of every five internationalmedical graduate students inJapan studies at TMDU.Recent efforts such as these are alreadybearing fruit. In 2013, TMDU was awardedResearch University status under aJapanese Government programme to encouragethe country’s best research institutionsto perform even better. To help itachieve this, the university has developeda five-pillar strategy that involves ensuringthe recruitment and developmentof excellent personnel, fostering an environmentin which high-quality researchcan flourish, reinforcing university governance,promoting cooperation with industrialenterprises and increased use ofresearch administrators.TMDU is also keen to explore new waysof teaching and doing research. Recentpilot projects include a programme thatallows graduate students to work undermultiple supervisors to broaden theirhorizons beyond their primary fields,and the development of a joint universitygraduate school system under whichparticipants’ coursework can be completedat any of six research institutions,including four national research centres.Detailed negotiations on the creationof joint degree programmes with theUniversity of Chile and ChulalongkornUniversity in Thailand are underway. Theuniversity also intends to develop a tenure-tracksystem to help attract high calibreinternational researchers.Other recent innovations include theestablishment of the TMDU BioresourceResearch Centre as a repository for humantissue, serum and DNA samples tofacilitate translational research into personalizedmedicine, and of a bank tohouse strains of genetically modifiedmice to support gene-based research.The university is also leading a networkdesigned to increase cooperation betweenindustrial enterprises and medicaluniversities.Moving forward, TMDU is lookinginto setting up an animal experimentationinstitution for medium- to largesizedanimals, which would meet thehigh standards set by the Associationfor the Assessment and Accreditation ofLaboratory Animal Care. Efforts are beingmade to employ a greater proportionof younger, female and internationalresearchers. Plans are also being made todevelop a strategic research organizationled by TMDU president Takashi Ohyama,and to increase capital investments.The university is cooperating with industryin a variety of ways designed toproduce outstanding research. It is hopedthat the planned establishment of theTMDU Organization for Propulsion ofMedical Innovation (OPMI) and increaseduse of research administrators will playAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICimportant roles on this front. TMDU plansboth to hire new researchers, includingthose with experience of working in thepharmaceutical industry, and to place existingresearchers with industry, to workon research with clearly defined medicaland health-care objectives. It is involvedin efforts to draw up regulations to addressconflicts of interest and uphold thehighest standard of bioethics so as to promoteresponsible cooperation betweenindustrial enterprises and universities,including in the special context of personalizedmedicine. It will also promotethe education of medical staff trained tomake the most of genetics in the diagnosisand treatment of patients.These initiatives and programmes mayhelp TMDU achieve its ambition of becomingone of the top 100 universitiesin the world. Ultimately however, this willonly be achieved if its staff continues toproduce high-quality research of the kindoutlined below.Putting the spotlight on immunesystem regulationMost antigens are proteins that occur onthe surfaces of viruses, bacteria, fungi orcells. TMDU researchers are investigatingthe how the immune system learns torespond to non-protein antigens such ascarbohydrate chains. They are also lookingmore broadly at the role of host immunityin diseases and how that relates to the developmentof effective immunotherapies,as well as working towards a better understandingof intracellular mechanisms underpinningviral replication in the hope ofidentifying therapeutic molecules. Otherpromising research areas include elucidatingthe distinguishing characteristicsof immune reactions through analysis atthe molecular level, and a focus on oralmucosal dendritic cells.New tools uncovering the protectiveroles of basophilsBasophils are white blood cells that can bestained using basic dyes. Their presence incirculating blood was identified more than120 years ago. Attempts to understandtheir roles have been hindered by theirrarity — they represent less than 1% ofperipheral blood leukocytes — and the absenceof basophil-deficient animal models.TMDU researchers have recently developednew ways to investigate the functionsof basophils in health and disease.Hajime Karasuyama’s laboratory has establisheda basophil-depleting antibodyand engineered basophil-deficient mice.His team has discovered that these cellshelp protect us from parasitic infections,such as those caused by ticks and helminths,while also contributing to thedevelopment of allergic disorders such asatopic dermatitis. This work may lead tothe development of anti-parasite vaccinesand novel strategies for treating allergies.A novel source of dendritic cells thatcould inspire new ways to fight diseaseDendritic cells (DCs) play crucial immunesystem roles both by helping preventoverreactions under steady-state conditionsand by absorbing fragments of antigensto present to the antigen-specificimmune system to trigger attacks followinginfection. Toshiaki Ohteki’s grouprecently discovered a novel source ofDCs called DC progenitors. These generateno other haematopoietic cells. Eachcan produce up to 1,000 fresh DCs. Thisdiscovery will provide insights into the DCdifferentiation pathways, as well as newavenues for the development of therapiesfor infectious diseases, cancers and autoimmunediseases.www.tmd.ac.jp/english/E-mail: kouhou.adm@tmd.ac.jpAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NPIASIA-PACIFICARTICLES:462CORRECTEDCOUNT:290.01JapanJapan is still the leading science nationin the Asia-Pacific NPI, with fiveinstitutions in the regional top 10 andthe global top 50. But it has a seriousrival in China, whose research outputis growing at an extraordinary rate.The Japanese government’s recentpro-science stimulus package mighthave arrived at just the right time forthe country to fight back.In January 2013, the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, introducedan economic stimulus package that showed a return to Japan’shistorical confidence in, and reliance on, science. Under the formeradministration, budget austerity had reduced salaries of scientistsand forced cutbacks in large research projects. But Abe’s governmentapproved a shot in the arm worth more than US$7 billion.The money will help Japanese scientists respond to the country’schanging landscape. Japan is still coping with the legacy of the Tohokuearthquake and tsunami, the subsequent disabling of the Daiichinuclear power plant near Fukushima, and the virtual shutdown of itsnuclear industry.With nuclear power unavailable, Japan now draws nearly 90% ofits energy from fossil fuels — almost all of which are imported. Thestimulus package trebled support for research into next-generationenergy resources, and increased spending on several programmesaimed at lowering energy consumption. Cleaning up the ailing powerplant will cost hundreds of billions of dollars — and will depend on largeefforts in engineering, health and environmental research.Japan is also facing serious competition from China at every level.And as this year’s NPI lays bare, China’s enormous science effort isbeginning to challenge Japan’s research dominance. Relations betweenthe two countries are frosty at best; the whole world watches as the twosquare off diplomatically and militarily over disputed Senkaku islands inthe South China Sea. Perhaps this rivalry explains, in part, the small levelof collaboration in the NPI between Japanese and Chinese researchers.INVESTING IN SCIENCEThe Abe government expects a return from its investment in research— and soon. About a quarter of the science stimulus — someUS$1.8 billion — is earmarked for commercialization of universityresearch. Much of the rest is for projects with industrial or clinicalapplications. The stimulus will also pour funding into the developmentASIA-PACIFIC RANKJAPAN TOP TENJapan has 60 institutions inthe Asia-Pacific top 200The University of TokyoKyoto UniversityRIKENOsaka UniversityTohoku UniversityNagoya UniversityNATIONAL RANKCORRECTED COUNT2013 INSTITUTION 20132012 2009–1 323457151 57.192345623.5721.8817.9817.4110.68ARTICLES1285881404933NATIONAL RANK123456CORRECTED COUNT39.7222.4719.1418.2210.508.55ARTICLES1165579543027NATIONAL RANK123456CORRECTED COUNT206.76106.6393.7184.0552.6341.41ARTICLES509248325214150117Researcher density (each figure represents 200 researchers per million inhabitants)18Hokkaido University78.452524National Institute forMaterial Science (NIMS)86.8916823.89712930Tokyo Institute of TechnologyNational Institutes ofNatural Sciences (NINS)9106.216.0718229105.474.601716JAPAN 2013POPULATION: 126.4 MRESEARCHERS: 656,032SOURCE: UNESCO14 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPIand maintenance of Japan’s research infrastructure—renovation of theSPring-8 synchrotron, for instance, and the construction of data linksbetween Japan’s universities and RIKEN’s K supercomputer, the world’sfastest computer in 2011 and still ranked fourth today.Stem cell research — mainly the area of reprogrammed adult cellsknown as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), in which Japan leadsthe world — was a major recipient in the stimulus package, followingan important year. 2013 started with a paper in Nature from Japan’sNational Institute of Radiological Sciences that demonstrated that iPScells, when injected into mice, behave similarly to embryonic stem cells.Significantly, iPS cells do not automatically trigger the immune system,as had previously been feared.Japanese authorities also have been clarifying the legislationgoverning the use of stem cells. Approval for the first human trials ofiPS cells — a clinical study aimed a treating macular degeneration, asignificant cause of blindness — was granted in record time from ethicscommittees and the government.RECORD APPROVALSubstantial funding was also directed towards underwater investigation,which is already paying scientific dividends. In March the deep-seadrilling vessel, Chikyu, successfully extracted methane from methylhydrate deposits 300 metres under the sea floor. Reservoirs of suchhydrates are thought to contain more fossil fuel than all other sourcescombined. Chikyu proved its worth in a quite different arena in earlyDecember. Drilling into a fault-line a kilometre beneath the seabed andunder seven kilometres of water, Chikyu uncovered the cause of Tohokuearthquake — a slippery layer of clay only five metres thick betweentwo tectonic plates. The international project has generated a plethoraof significant papers, confirming an earlier theory published in Naturein 2013 by a team that included a scientist from the Japan Agency forMarine-Earth Science and Technology.Unsurprisingly, the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunamigenerated a lot of activity to measure impact, deal with consequences,and try to prevent similar disasters. The Fukushima Health ManagementSurvey questioned 90,000 evacuees about their mental state two yearsafter the disaster.The responses revealed major mental health problems — anxiety,depression, post-traumatic stress disorder — among the otherwisehealthy survivors. In October, as increased levels of radiation werereported to emanate from the stricken power plant, the governmentasked for international assistance to help Japanese nuclear scientistsand engineers stabilize the situation.IMPACT MEASUREDThe university most affected by the tsunami, Tohoku University inSendai, has bounced back strongly in the NPI rankings. Tohoku’straditional strengths of materials and physical sciences were wellrepresented in its NPI papers last year, particularly in studies todo with atomic spin. Nearly a quarter of Tohoku’s CC came fromnine articles to do with spintronics or atomic spin published inNature Communications, Nature Materials and Nature Physics, andthere were several other papers on astrogeology and the magneticinteractions of materials.The university is also generating significant Nature publications in thebiological sciences. Tohoku published several papers concerning bloodand its formation, for instance, and the molecular basis of behaviour.Japan’s top four institutions — The University of Tokyo, KyotoUniversity, RIKEN and Osaka University — have remained stable inthe NPI for the past five years, with Tokyo still producing more thandouble the number of papers as its nearest Japanese rival. However,Asia-Pacific regional leadership has shifted to the Chinese Academy ofSciences — the first time since NPI’s inception that The University ofTokyo has been overtaken. ■INSTITUTIONAL PUBLISHING TRENDSCharting the changes in output from the top 10 institutions since 2009.RESEARCH STRENGTHSThe subject areas in which Japan achieved its corrected count.10Lifesciences80%60%40%20%0Relative change in corrected count (2009 = 1)987654321020092010201120122013Earth &environmentalsciencesAsia-Pacific averageChemistryPhysicalsciencesCorrected count earned through domestic versusinternational collaborationsSomesubjectsoverlap so thetotal can be>100%DomesticInternationalUniversity of TokyoKyoto UniversityRIKENOsaka UniversityTohoku UniversityNagoya UniversityHokkaido UniversityNational Institute for Material Science (NIMS)Tokyo Institute of TechnologyNational Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)0 10 20 30 40 50 60Corrected countNATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 15

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATUREHiroshima UniversityDRIVING RESEARCH STANDARDS EVER HIGHERIn 2013, Hiroshima University was namedas one of 22 institutions awarded ResearchUniversity status by the JapaneseGovernment. Under this programme,universities already known as centres ofresearch excellence are encouraged andsupported to achieve even more. Thishonour shows not only the high standardsbeing set at the university, but alsothe level of expectation that society atlarge has of it.These are responsibilities that HiroshimaUniversity takes seriously, yet its ambitionsextend further still. Its leadership believesthat through an ongoing programme ofimprovements and restructuring, it canbecome one of the top 100 universitiesin the world. Those appointed as distinguishedprofessors and distinguished researchersat the university already receivea broad range of support to help themmaximize their efforts and potential. Theyare, for example, provided with the fullservices of research administrators andtechnical personnel so that they can usetheir time as effectively as possible.Those engaged in fields of researchdeemed to have especially high potentialare given extra space and resources tohelp them carry out their work. The universityis planning to expand its researchhorizons by providing more of this additionalassistance, especially for thoseengaged in interdisciplinary work. In future,it will place greater emphasis on theformation of research hubs beyond theborders between the university and stateagencies.Hiroshima University believes in offeringmotivated and capable students theopportunity to study abroad. This notonly can provide rewarding and enrichingexperiences, but also allows those whowish to broaden their horizons in this wayto learn how to live in other countries.The university works in cooperation withits partner universities overseas to developcommon postgraduate and degreeprogrammes, as well as participating ina variety of other schemes that provideopportunities for our students to studyabroad. Alongside these efforts, increasinginternational student numbers formsan important part of the university’s plansto boost its research capabilities. That iswhy it is taking steps to help it achieve itsaim of doubling the number of internationalstudents to 2,000 within four years.The university is fully committed to engagingin projects that will help stimulaterevitalization of the local community andeconomy, by, for example, engaging in researchcollaborations with local industries.It hopes to make changes to its existinginfrastructure that will make it possible toincrease these contributions further.Toshimasa Asahara, president ofHiroshima UniversitySuccessful societies need to nurturetheir human resources. It is importantthat we all learn to understand social differencesand develop sufficient intellectualindependence and wisdom to formindividual judgments, and to act uponthem. This is why Hiroshima Universityhas worked hard in the past to enhanceits programmes of liberal arts education,and believes further developments will berequired in the future.Dr Toshimasa Asahara, president ofHiroshima University, says “HiroshimaUniversity would never be swayed bysignificant social changes as long as wepursue the defined goal of fostering humanresources. We will keep working toachieve this mission, that is, contributionto future society by fostering human resourceswith a broad view, deep insightand rich humanity.”Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICTOWARDS PEACEFUL, FREE AND SAFE TOMORROWSWorld-class graduate educationHiroshima University is seeking to attractmore graduate students through itsLeading Graduate Education Programme.Launched in October 2012, it includes thePhoenix Leader Education Programme andthe TAOYAKA Programme, both of whichhave been selected to receive supportunder a Japanese Government scheme topromote efforts to develop world-class degreeprogrammes. Phoenix and TAOYAKAare new interdisciplinary PhD programmes,which, it is hoped, will produce globalleaders capable of creating new forms ofknowledge that transcend the boundariesof conventional academic and researchdisciplines. Based on the university’s particularspecialisms and strengths, theLeading Graduate Education Programmeis designed to improve the originality ofstudents, broaden their perspectives, anddevelop their ability to take action andresolve problems. The curriculum also includesa group of common core subjectsto impart the spirit of peace to HiroshimaUniversity students. In this way we will nurturepersonnel who can address problemsin a creative manner, view the world basedon broad knowledge, and act globally.New ways to respond to radiation disastersRadiation is as important as ever in medicine,industry and nuclear power in the 21st century,yet our related safety systems remainfragile. Meanwhile, recent political instabilityin some parts of the world raises the threatof nuclear terrorism. There is a global needfor experts who can work effectively in situationsof nuclear disaster or nuclear terrorismto reduce risks and optimize safety.Hiroshima University’s Research Institutefor Radiation Biology and Medicine, andUniversity Hospital have a long history ofwide-ranging research into radiation hazardscaused by the atomic bombing ofHiroshima in 1945, and of medical treatmentfor people who suffer from atomic bombradiation. Based on these experiences andachievements, the Phoenix Leader EducationProgramme is designed to produce globalleaders with sufficient clarity of vision andcross-disciplinary training to take effectiveleadership roles in radiation disaster recovery.The basis of the programme is radiationdisaster recovery studies, which includeselements of medicine, environmentalstudies, engineering, sciences, sociology,education and psychology. It is designedto establish a new system of leadershipand response to radiation disasters thatwill enhance safety and security in the21st century. Phoenix Leaders are expectedto act globally to make use of theirexpertise and capacity to protect humanlives, the environment and societies fromthe risks associated with radiation.Enhancing lives through science andtechnologyHiroshima University’s TAOYAKA programmepromotes freedom and peacewhile building on and expanding conventionalpeace studies and education.TAOYAKA societies are flexible, enduringand peaceful, as well as having a globalperspective. They can be brought aboutthrough multi-dimensional innovations inscience and engineering, society, cultureand entrepreneurship policy. Recent yearshave shown the enormous potential ofnovel technologies to improve lives in thedeveloping world radically.To develop young global leaders, thefive-year TAOYAKA PhD programme offersinterdisciplinary educational opportunitiesin cultural and technological innovation,and their social implementation.A wide range of interdisciplinary coursework on campus is integrated with intensiveon-site experience in disadvantagedareas in both developed and developingcountries, with special emphasis onimproving lives by deploying advancedscience and engineering.www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATUREOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST)A NEW DAWN FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCHBased on a bold vision of creating a worldclass,interdisciplinary research universityon a subtropical island 400 miles southof mainland Japan, the Okinawa Instituteof Science and Technology GraduateUniversity (OIST) is a graduate school likeno other. Set amidst coral reefs, white sandbeaches and emerald seas, OIST boastsstunning vistas and a modern, vibrantcampus with state-of-the-art equipmentand facilities including an electron microscopesuite, a DNA-sequencing centre, asupercomputing centre and spectroscopylaboratories. The new multi-use auditoriumat OIST has already hosted internationallyrenownedartists including I Musici as wellas lectures delivered by Nobel laureates.The campus, located on the west coast ofOkinawa — the largest in the Ryukyu Islandsarchipelago — contains 700,000 square feetof research buildings and accommodates acommunity of upwards of 600 researchers,students and support staff. Interdisciplinarityis at the heart of OIST’s core values: by removingthe barriers between disciplinesaltogether, OIST is overturning conventionalapproaches to research and education.In contrast to other universities in Japan,OIST has a highly international profile andscope. All of the teaching and research atthe institute is conducted in English, andover half of the faculty and students arerecruited from overseas. Funded primarilyby the Japanese Government, OIST openedits doors to the first cohort of students fromacross the world in September 2012, afterreceiving accreditation in November 2011.“In record time, we have been able tobuild a fully functioning research graduateschool and have been successful inattracting high-level faculty and students,”says Neil Calder, vice president for communicationsand public relations at OIST.“The vision is to nurture leaders of the nextgeneration of scientists who can succeedon the global stage.”Cultivating research excellenceUniquely, the institute offers training andpersonalized development through a specialized5-year PhD programme. Studentsare encouraged to broaden and deepentheir knowledge of areas outside theirmain field of study by working alongsideleading researchers in neuroscience, mathematicaland computational sciences,environmental and ecological sciences,physics, chemistry, and molecular, cell anddevelopmental biology.“From the word go, students have theopportunity to work side-by-side with researchersand have access to world-classequipment and laboratories,” says Calder. Aspart of the PhD programme, a laboratoryrotation system ensures that students gainvaluable experience in a variety of researchprojects and techniques. Calder adds, “Ourstudents are asked to join research projectsoutside their speciality. A physicist may goto a biology lab, a mathematician to neurosciencelab, a chemist to a genetics lab andso on, students can pick up the languageand learn from these diverse interactions.”The relatively small size of the institute createsa favourable 2:1 student-to-faculty ratioand also provides a warm community feel.“You have to be there to feel the sense ofopenness and welcoming atmosphere,” saysKiyoshi Kurokawa, academic fellow of theNational Graduate Institute for Policy Studiesand member of the OIST Board of Governors.One of OIST’s strengths, Kurokawa explains,is its ability to begin from scratch,based on an entirely different ethos totraditional ‘big city’ universities in Tokyo,Kyoto and Osaka. Guided by the principlesof interdisciplinarity, quality and sustainability,Kurokawa envisions that OIST willmake its mark as “a small but impactfulhub of innovation that will develop futureleaders in science.”Taking a global viewPromoting internationalization and cultivatinga culture of open communicationis key to enabling young researchers toAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NPIASIA-PACIFICARTICLES:493CORRECTEDCOUNT:245.19ChinaChina’s investment in science isbearing fruit. In 2013, it published morearticles in NPI journals than any otherAsia-Pacific nation. Significantly, inJanuary that year, the Chinese Academyof Sciences (CAS) knocked The Universityof Tokyo off the top of the NPI institutionalrankings. China has ambitious projectsunderway that challenge not only Japanesebut European and US institutions.For China, 2013 was a year of scientific discoveries, technologicalfeats and the construction of cutting-edge facilities.In February a team from China and the US, led by XiangdongJi of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) initiated the world’s deepestparticle-physics experiment, PandaX, aimed at detecting particles ofdark matter in pools of liquid xenon deeper than 2.5 km underground.In June, China sent its fifth crewed spacecraft, Shenzhou 10, to dockwith China’s space station, Tiangong 1. It is the first stage of a plan toconstruct a bigger modular station around 2020, four years before theplanned end of the International Space Station programme. Also in June,the Tianhe-2 (or Milky Way-2) supercomputer became the world’s fastest,with an operating speed of 33.9 petaflops per second – nearly twiceas fast as the previous leader.China’s high-definition Earth observation satellite, Gaofen 1, startedoperating in December to survey and monitor environmental processes,particularly to collect data on natural disasters such as earthquakes.Earlier in December, another arm of its space programme made newswhen China became the third country, after the US and Russia, to explorethe moon. The Chang’e-3 lunar probe landed safely and delivered China’sfirst robot rover, Yutu (or Jade Rabbit), which is equipped with groundpenetratingradar, spectrometers and cameras.Chinese scientists are also exploring the oceans for knowledge. Underthe country’s 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) a National Deep Sea Centerwill be set up and its deep-diving submersible, Jiaolong, upgraded.China can now also lay claim to the oldest-known primate skeleton,the earliest collection of fossilised dinosaur embryos — found in theircrushed shells — and the earliest-known member of the bird family.These discoveries were published in Nature in 2013 by scientists fromCAS and from other domestic and international institutions.China is allocating an increasing proportion of its GDP to science andtechnology: 1.98% in 2012; expected to rise to 2.2% by 2015. President XiJinping, who took office in March 2013, is continuing his predecessor’sASIA-PACIFIC RANKCHINA TOP TENChina has 65 institutions inthe Asia-Pacific top 200Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)University of Science andTechnology of China (USTC)Tsinghua UniversityPeking UniversityBGINanjing UniversityNATIONAL RANKCORRECTED COUNT2013 INSTITUTION 20132012 2009–1 3191014172112345663.1515.1113.8311.1610.507.89ARTICLES1653739483219NATIONAL RANK123456CORRECTED COUNT36.389.468.998.726.626.27ARTICLES931734353020NATIONAL RANK123456CORRECTED COUNT147.7039.6739.3933.1523.8618.87ARTICLES3998711613173101Researcher density (each figure represents 200 researchers per million inhabitants)35Fudan University75.722574.7015717.794936Zhejiang University85.7025815.64643739Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU)The University of Hong Kong (HKU)9105.634.9935189103.902.92131491015.0114.675768CHINA 2013POPULATION:RESEARCHERS:1.354 B1.318 MSOURCE: UNESCO20 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPIfiscal promotion of science and has emphasized that such investmentshould be a driving force for the country’s economic development.However, in 2013, Mu Rongping, director-general of the CAS Instituteof Policy and Management, told the American Association for theAdvancement of Science that China suffers from a lack of innovation.Critics blame a system that bases funding allocation on other considerationsthan merit.Only a small proportion of its science and technologybudget is spent on basic research, academics are poorly paid and governmentagencies are not well coordinated.Many Chinese enterprises depend on foreign innovation for core technologies.World Bank data show that in 2012 China earned US$1 billionin intellectual property fees while paying out US$17.7 billion. But, Chineseresearchers are not without creativity: the Tianhe-2 supercomputer andChina’s space programme are both examples of how the country contributessignificant home-grown improvements to existing technologies.Chemistry is China’s strength in the NPI. In that field, its top threeinstitutions — CAS, University of Science and Technology of China(USTC) and Xiamen University — published 38 chemistry articles inNature research journals in 2013. But 33 of these were in the online-onlyjournal Nature Communications. The top two contributors to the moreprestigious Nature Chemistry were Japan’s Kyoto and Nagoya Universities(see Top Institutions by Journal, page 46). CAS earned about half of itsCC from articles published in Nature Communications.CAS LEADING THE WAYCAS is the leading light among Asia-Pacific institutions. It comprisesmore than 100 research centres, of which the Institute of Physics (17%)and the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (13%) make the greatestcontributions to CAS’s NPI output. In 2013, CAS ranked 6th in theGlobal Top 100, up from 14th in 2012 and 23rd in 2011.The notable riser in 2013 was Nanjing University, whose output in thephysical sciences lifted it from 14th to 6th in China. Nanjing publishedmore articles in Nature Physics than did any other Asia-Pacific institutionin 2013 and was ranked third for papers in Nature Materials.Of the top Chinese institutions, the highest proportional growth since2009 has been shown by the global genomics company BGI, which is nowChina’s fifth-ranked institution. Genome sequences published by BGIin Nature, Nature Genetics and Nature Communications help explain theevolution of predatory instinct in falcons and salt adaptation in the desertpoplar, among other insights.Almost 90% of the NPI articles from both BGI and SJTU came frominternational collaborations. For BGI this is to be expected as genesequencing typically requires many collaborators. For instance, a typicalgenomics paper may have in excess of 200 authors affiliated with morethan 150 institutions from across 20 countries.For SJTU, however, international cooperation is a strategy for improvement.It offers joint degrees with universities in the US, France and theUK, and a PhD exchange scheme with the University of Cambridge. It alsohas cooperation agreements with more than 100 universities and researchinstitutions worldwide. SJTU claims to have the most returnees under the1000 Talents scheme, a government-funded scheme that offers top Chineseresearchers substantial incentives to return home. Despite recording anincreased article count, SJTU was the only institution in the top ten whosecorrected count decreased in 2013. This may be due in part to extensiveinternational and domestic collaboration. SJTU published papers with 63other Chinese institutions, compared with USTC’s 24 and Tsinghua’s 18.China’s range of international partners is changing: it increased collaborationwith Denmark, Canada and Australia, at the expense of researchwith the US. Many collaborations have government support.Since 2008 the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)has worked with the Danish National Research Foundation to establishten research centres in cancer research, nanotechnology, renewableenergy and communication technology. This link is starting to yieldhigh-quality results. ■INSTITUTIONAL PUBLISHING TRENDSCharting the changes in output from the top 10 institutions since 2009.RESEARCH STRENGTHSThe subject areas in which China achieved its corrected count.25Lifesciences80%60%40%20%0Relative change in corrected count (2009 = 1)2015105020092010201120122013Earth &environmentalsciencesAsia-Pacific averageChemistryPhysicalsciencesCorrected count earned through domestic versusinternational collaborationsSomesubjectsoverlap so thetotal can be>100%DomesticInternationalChinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)Tsinghua UniversityPeking UniversityBGINanjing UniversityFudan UniversityZhejiang UniversityShanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU)The University of Hong Kong (HKU)0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70Corrected countNATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 21

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATUREUniversity of Science and Technology of China (USTC)PURSUING EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCEThe University of Science and Technologyof China (USTC) is one of the most importantinnovation centres in the country,and is always ranked among its best universities.It is particularly strong in fieldssuch as quantum manipulation, nanotechnology,high-temperature superconductivity,speech processing, fire scienceand life sciences.The USTC takes the lead in many majorscience projects, such as quantumsatellite research and dark-matter detection.It is also an active contributor tosignificant international projects, suchas the International ThermonuclearExperimental Reactor (ITER) and theEuropean Organization for NuclearResearch (CERN).In 2013, the USTC won more than 20 renownedawards in science and technology.For example, a team of USTC physicistsled by Professor Xianhui Chen receivedthe first prize in Chinese Natural Sciencefor their contributions to the field of superconductingmaterials; for the previousthree years, there had been no recipientsof this prize.Some of the latest research highlightsare described below.PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRYHigh-energy physics at the particle collidersA team led by Professor Zhengguo Zhaoin the School of Physical Sciences madeweighty contributions to the study of dibosonproduction, triple-gauge bosoncouplings and the discovery of Higgsparticles via the ATLAS experiment at theLarge Hadron Collider (LHC) of CERN. Zhaoalso greatly contributed to the observationof the Zc particles that were suggested torepresent the charmed multiquark states,using the Beijing Spectrometer (BESIII)at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider(BEPCII), and, for the first time, observedover 10 new decay modes of the charmoniumstates cJ and c. As a result of theseoutstanding achievements, Zhao waselected as an academician of the ChineseAcademy of Sciences (CAS), which is thehighest academic honour in the country.Inorganic solid-state chemistryProfessor Yi Xie and her group at theHefei National Laboratory for PhysicalSciences at the Microscale (HFNL) pioneeredresearch into the design andsynthesis of inorganic functional solidswith efforts to modulate their electronand phonon structures. Xie establishedthe methodology known as the “synergeticuse of binary characteristic structures”for the synthesis and assemblyof inorganic functional materials, proposeda strategy for modulating theelectron and phonon transport propertieswith phase transitions at the nanoscale,developed new high-efficiencythermoelectric materials systems, anddiscovered the relationship betweenthe fine/electronic structures and thethermoelectric/optoelectronic propertiesof two-dimensional semiconductorcrystals. As a female scientist, Xie isthe youngest academician of the CASamong those elected in 2013.Carbon aerogels sop up hydrocarbonsA team led by Professor Shuhong Yu atthe HFNL is pursuing carbon aerogelproduction from biomass. The team selectedbacterial cellulose pellicles — acommonly used, inexpensive, nontoxicform of biomass consisting of a tanglednetwork of cellulose nano fibres — as aprecursor for the production of ultralightcarbon nanofibre aerogels on a largescale.This biomass can easily be producedon an industrial scale through microbialfermentation.QUANTUM INFORMATION ANDQUANTUM TECHNOLOGYThe Synergetic Innovation Centre forQuantum Information and QuantumPhysics (SIC–QIQP), head by ProfessorJianwei Pan, was established and financiallysupported by the Chinese Ministry ofEducation. It focuses on bringing togetherteams of multi-disciplinary researchers toform a dynamic national network for developingscalable quantum technologies.Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICFoiling quantum hackersA research team led by Professor QiangZhang and Professor Tengyun Chen atthe SIC–QIQP successfully demonstratedthe measurement-device-independentquantum key distribution by developingup-conversion single-photon detectorswith high efficiency and low noise.The new quantum-encryption methodprovides the ultimate security againsthackers in real-world cryptography applications,and greatly improves the securityof quantum-encryption systems.This research was selected as one of theHighlights of the Year in Physics by theAmerican Physical Society.A milestone in satellite-based quantumcommunicationA collaborative team led by ProfessorChengzhi Peng at the SIC–QIQP achievedcomprehensive and direct verification ofquantum communication between satellitesand ground stations. This research laysthe necessary technical foundations for aglobal quantum-communication networkbased on ground–satellite quantum communicationby launching the quantum scienceexperimental satellite of China.Optical spectroscopy goesintramolecularA team led by Professor Zhenchao Dongat the SIC–QIQP reported an opticalspectroscopic-imaging approach thatachieves subnanometre resolution andresolves the internal structure of singlemolecules. This development could leadto new techniques for probing and controllingnanoscale structure, dynamics,mechanics and chemistry. This researchwas listed among China’s top 10 sciencenews stories in 2013.ENVIRONMENTAL AND EARTHSCIENCESPenguins thrived in Antarctica during theLittle Ice AgeNew research led by Professor LiguangSun in the School of Earth and SpaceSciences showed that penguin populationsin the Ross Sea of Antarctica spikedduring the short cold period, called theLittle Ice Age, which occurred betweenAD1500 and 1800. These results run contraryto previous studies that found increasesin Antarctic penguin populationsduring warmer periods and decreasesduring colder periods, suggesting thatpopulations living at different latitudes inthe Antarctic might respond differently toclimate change.Uncovering the mystery of subductionzone earthquakesBased on analytical data from four of thehighest magnitude subduction zone megathrustearthquakes, the conclusion wasdrawn that low-frequency radiation is closerto the trench at shallower depths and highfrequencyradiation is farther from the trenchat greater depths, in general. This scientificbreakthrough was achieved by a team ledby Professor Huajian Yao.LIFE SCIENCESNew evidence for curing type 2 diabetesResearch teams led by Professor RongbinZhou and Professor Zhigang Tian in theSchool of Life Sciences revealed a newmechanism through which omega-3fatty acids inhibit inflammation andprevent type 2 diabetes. The research resultswere published in Immunity in June2013 and highlighted in the same issueof the journal.Identifying liver-resident natural-killercells with immune memoryA team also led by Professor Zhigang Tianidentified liver-resident natural-killer (NK)cells that possess unique immune memorycharacteristics absent from normal NK cells.LincRNA-p21 as a novel key player inregulating the Warburg effectA research team led by Professor MianWu and Professor Yide Mei, at HFNL andthe School of Life Sciences, has revealeda novel mechanism whereby lincRNA-p21regulates the Warburg effect under hypoxicconditions. They demonstrated, forthe first time, that lincRNA-p21 is an importantregulator of the Warburg effect,and also identify lincRNA-p21 as a valuabletherapeutic target for cancer.http://en.ustc.edu.cn/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NPIASIA-PACIFICARTICLES:264CORRECTEDCOUNT:103.76AustraliaAustralia has improved its NPI score byalmost every measure. The country’sgreatest strengths are still the earthand environmental sciences. The newconservative government, however, iscreating an uneasy atmosphere: there isno science minister in the cabinet,and several agencies — particularlythose dealing with climate change —are being closed down.After several years of a relatively unstable, minority Laborgovernment — under whose stewardship there were 4science ministers in 16 months — one might have expectedAustralia’s science community to welcome a new administration.Elected in September 2013 with a significant majority, the conservativegovernment is led by a former health minister, Tony Abbott, who isknown to support medical research.But some of the government’s actions have unnerved Australia’sscientists. Many of Abbott’s cabinet ministers and advisers havedismissed the idea of human contribution to global warming — theevidence for which Australian scientists have been prominent incollecting. The Abbott government, which campaigned to repeal acarbon tax, was quick to start closing agencies responsible for climateadvice and assistance, citing high cost and inefficiency. Then, for thefirst time since 1931, the prime minister failed to appoint a minister forscience or research. Instead, responsibilities are split between severalportfolios: education, health and, primarily, industry.The government also brought with it a change in scientific priorities: astronger emphasis on linking government-funded research to industry;indications that it will redirect about AUD$100 million from scienceand humanities to medical research; a freeze on public service hiring,which CSIRO staff say will disproportionately affect Australia’s nationalresearch body; and a general tightening of spending across the board.The government’s apparent disdain for environmental conservationgenerally, and “green tape” in particular, threatens to undermineAustralia’s strong publishing record in earth and environmentalsciences. As it did last year, Australia accounted for about a third ofthe papers in this category for the Asia-Pacific NPI. CSIRO is the Asia-Pacific’s most prolific contributor to Nature Climate Change, whilethe University of Western Australia, the University of Queenslandand James Cook University (JCU) made up three of the other top fourcontributors. Indeed, earth and environmental sciences is the onlyASIA-PACIFIC RANKThe University of MelbourneAustralian National University(ANU)The University of Queensland (UQ)The University of New South WalesThe University of SydneyMonash UniversityThe Commonwealth Scientific andIndustrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)NATIONAL RANKCORRECTED COUNT2013 INSTITUTION 20132012 2009–1 38111623252628AUSTRALIA TOP TENAustralia has 28 institutionsin the Asia-Pacific top 200123456715.3312.6410.627.336.516.336.33ARTICLES69335031373029NATIONAL RANK12345-7CORRECTED COUNT10.788.107.084.443.96-3.88ARTICLES4821412416-21NATIONAL RANK1234567CORRECTED COUNT44.0234.9134.2223.7921.6518.1718.11ARTICLES20594159129888976Researcher density (each figure represents 200 researchers per million inhabitants)33The Walter and Eliza Hall Instituteof Medical Research (WEHI)85.892283.8222812.86535362The University of Western Australia(UWA)Macquarie University9102.582.09241392.0026910.67102AUSTRALIA 2013POPULATION: 23 MRESEARCHERS: 92,649SOURCE: UNESCO24 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPIcategory in which Australia challenges the NPI output of heavy hittersChina and Japan. Even so, it could not maintain its 2012 position at thetop, and has slipped to second in this category.IMMUNE BOOSTIn the life sciences, Australia ranks third in the NPI Asia-Pacific behindChina and Japan. However, it is persistently strong in immunology.Four of the top five Asia-Pacific institutions contributing to NatureImmunology were Australian: the University of Melbourne, theWalter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), MonashUniversity and the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Forexample, WEHI researchers generated international interest with apaper that described a mechanism through which eating leafy greensboosts the level of protective immune cells in the human gut.Because Australia’s science budget is small compared to that ofChina and Japan, it can only become involved in ‘big science’, such asparticle physics, astronomy, systems biology, large medical trials andoceanography, by leveraging its expertise and geographic position incollaborative work. Researchers at eight of Australia’s top ten institutionsworked with international partners on well over half their Naturepapers. Scientists at tenth-placed Macquarie University collaboratedinternationally in all their NPI papers — teaming up with scientists fromJapan, China and South Korea as well as with researchers in Europe,the US and Canada. Macquarie University has long been known forits strength in research into optics, lasers and photonics. Two of itsthree articles with highest CC — to which its researchers contributedmost—were published in Nature Nanotechnology in this area. Thethird reported the discovery in Antarctica of kimberlites, the majorcommercial source of diamonds.Several of Australia’s more interesting NPI papers show fruitsof the significant and ongoing expenditure on science and datamanagement infrastructure that began in 2004. In February, forexample, researchers from Australia’s Antarctic Climate and EcosystemsCooperative Research Centre, Macquarie University, and the Universityof Tasmania — collaborating with scientists from Japan — reported inNature Geoscience they had discovered the elusive fourth source of thedeep-ocean streams of cold water from Antarctica that help to regulatethe Earth’s climate. The final piece of the puzzle was supplied by sensorsattached to elephant seals which send data via satellite to Australia’sIntegrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) in Hobart where they arestored, processed, and posted on an open website.In another significant paper published in Nature Climate Change,researchers at JCU and CSIRO used the Edgar database, whichcombines bird observations taken from the Atlas of Living Australiawith climate projections from the Tropical Data Hub, to demonstratethat bird species are likely to move toward the poles as a consequenceof climate change.GROUP OF EIGHTOnce again Australia’s NPI rankings are dominated by the older,established Group of Eight research universities, seven of which are inthe country’s top ten. The one omission is the University of Adelaide,which is 12th and rising. Australia’s top three institutions all retainedlast year’s position.In fourth place is this year’s rising star, UNSW, up from eighthwith contributions across a broad range of journals. Its six papers inNature included two articles that herald significant steps toward thedevelopment of the world’s first silicon-based quantum computer. Aleader of this quantum effort, Andrea Morello, was this year’s winnerof the Malcolm McIntosh Award: Australia’s top prize for early-careerphysical scientists. He was joined by UNSW colleague Angela Moles,who won the Frank Fenner Prize — the corresponding award forbiological sciences — who reported in Nature Communications thattaller plants show slower rates of molecular evolution. ■INSTITUTIONAL PUBLISHING TRENDSCharting the changes in output from the top 10 institutions since 2009.RESEARCH STRENGTHSThe subject areas in which Australia achieved its corrected count.7Lifesciences80%60%40%20%0Relative change in corrected count (2009 = 1)654321020092010201120122013Earth &environmentalsciencesAsia-Pacific averageChemistryPhysicalsciencesCorrected count earned through domestic versusinternational collaborationsSomesubjectsoverlap so thetotal can be>100%DomesticInternationalThe University of MelbourneAustralian National University (ANU)The University of Queensland (UQ)The University of New South WalesThe University of SydneyMonash UniversityThe Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI)The University of Western Australia (UWA)Macquarie University0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18Corrected countNATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 25

NPIASIA-PACIFICARTICLES:156CORRECTEDCOUNT:66.89South KoreaSouth Korea increased its NPI research outputsignificantly in 2013, an improvement on aquiet 2012. Increasing government fundingfor basic research will provide a solid footing.South Korea’s output in Nature research journals rose substantially in2013. The trend is likely to continue owing to increased investmentin scientific and technological research, announced by PresidentPark Geun-hye.The nation consistently leads the Asia-Pacific for research spending,measured as gross domestic expenditure on research and development(GERD) as a proportion of GDP, and Park’s government aims to reach 5%by 2015. The president has said that within five years the proportion of governmentR&D spending on basic science will increase from 35% to 40%.Funding for the Institute of Basic Science (IBS), modelled on Germany’sMax Planck institutes, is already producing results. In 2013, its first fullyear, IBS reached eighth place among South Korean institutions in theNPI, propelled by articles from three of its nanoscience research centres.There are plans to open 50 research centres by 2017, an increase from the13 in operation at the end of 2013. South Korea has traditionally placedemphasis on making improvements and advances on technology inventedelsewhere, so the IBS represents a significant shift.Its top institution, the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology(KAIST), increased its NPI output on the previous year. With focuson IT and bioengineering, KAIST was the most prolific Korean institute inthe NPI physical and life sciences. In one of its two Nature papers, KAISTscientists reported a novel synthetic biological technique for producingpetrol through metabolic engineering of the Escherichia coli bacterium.South Korea is strong in biotechnology generally; Seoul National Universityand KAIST ranked first and third, respectively, in contributions toNature Biotechnology on genetic and metabolic engineering techniques.Large corporations such as LG and Samsung heavily influence thedirection of South Korea’s science. Samsung accounts for 17% of thecountry’s GDP and spent US$10.4 billion on R&D in 2012-13, secondonly to Volkswagen among global research companies. In early2013 Samsung also announced a ten-year, KRW1,500 billion (almostUS$1.4 billion) programme to support basic research in universities.South Korea topped Bloomberg's Global Innovation Index of 2013, withhigh scores for its number of patents, manufacturing capability, researchspending as a proportion of GDP, and the proportion of high-tech companies.With IT and electronics so important to its economy, it’s not surprisingthat South Korea’s NPI publishing record is strongest in the physicalsciences, mostly for research with commercial application. Of the country’sCC, 11% came from publications in Nature Materials and Nature Photonics.ASIA-PACIFIC RANKKorea Advanced Institute of Scienceand Technology (KAIST)Seoul National UniversityPohang University of Science andTechnology (POSTECH)Sungkyunkwan UniversityKorea UniversitySamsung Electronics Co., LtdNATIONAL RANKCORRECTED COUNT2013 INSTITUTION 20132012 2009–1 3132022404649SOUTH KOREA TOP TENSouth Korea has 25 institutions inthe Asia-Pacific top 20012345612.128.147.344.873.802.91ARTICLES23371817127NATIONAL RANK123456CORRECTED COUNT5.464.604.033.672.622.43ARTICLES14261510116NATIONAL RANK123456CORRECTED COUNT34.1826.9316.9713.7712.8210.58ARTICLES1256645424343Researcher density (each figure represents 200 researchers per million inhabitants)73Yonsei University71.8613710.372582Institute for Basic Science (IBS)81.69981.95587.14308487Ulsan National Institute of Scienceand Technology (UNIST)Hanyang University9101.621.56599101.851.6764SOUTH KOREA 2013POPULATION: 48.6 MRESEARCHERS: 264,118SOURCE: UNESCO26 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPIYet Nature Communications was the journal in which South Koreanscientists were most prolific. It accounted for almost half of the country’sNPI publications (72 out of 156), including the report from Samsungscientists and colleagues from four other institutions who created anelectrically controlled graphene switch which can be used in developingsuperconducting quantum information devices. New funding willconsolidate graphene, the atom-thick sheets of carbon, as one of SouthKorea’s key strengths. The Korean Graphene Project will receive KRW49billion (US$46 million) to commercialize technologies; and there areplans to build two new IBS institutions focusing on the science of grapheneand related 2D materials. One of these will be hosted at SungkyunkwanUniversity, which is heavily financed by Samsung. These twoinstitutions top the list for graphene-related patents globally. Sungkyunkwanscientists published three graphene papers in Nature journals in2013, and, in January, Samsung demonstrated flexible graphene touchscreensthat could be used for small devices such as mobile phones. ■INSTITUTIONAL PUBLISHING TRENDSCharting the changes in output from the top institutions* since 2009.6ARTICLES:116CORRECTEDCOUNT:41.52SingaporeSingapore's boasted a 3.7% GDP increase in2013 — and its science output grew too. Theisland nation’s 2013 NPI research output wasalmost double that of the previous year.Relative change in corrected count (2009 = 1)5432102009201020112012Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Seoul National UniversityPohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)Sungkyunkwan UniversityKorea UniversitySamsung Electronics Co., LtdYonsei UniversityHanyang University2013*These are the only institutions that appear in the NPI in each of the past 5 yearsAs a small, resource-poor nation, Singapore relies on its acumento support the country’s high standard of living. In this respectit resembles Switzerland, both countries consistently rank in thetop ten of the Global Innovation Index of the World Intellectual PropertyOrganization and Cornell University. The World Economic Forumranks Singapore second to Switzerland in its 2013 list of the world’smost competitive economies. Hong Kong and Japan are the other Asianrepresentatives in the top ten.In the past, this relentless drive for innovation has hinderedSingapore’s climb up the NPI. Applied research, geared towardsprojects that can quickly be translated into products or those thatsolve immediate problems, has not traditionally been publishedin Nature journals. And, when research is driven by high levels ofinternational collaboration, as has usually been the case for Singapore,the contribution to corrected count is diluted.But times are changing. The addition of Nature Communications,which encourages submissions in fields that aren’t covered by otherNature journals, has provided more scope for publishing researchfrom countries with Singapore’s strengths. Almost 40% of all NPIpapers involving authors from Singapore’s top two institutions, theNational University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang TechnologicalUniversity, appear in that journal.RESEARCH STRENGTHSThe subject areas in which South Korea achieved its corrected count.RESEARCH STRENGTHSThe subject areas in which Singapore achieved its corrected count.Lifesciences80%60%40%20%0Lifesciences80%60%40%20%0Earth &environmentalsciencesEarth &environmentalsciencesAsia-Pacific averageSomesubjectsoverlap so thetotal can be>100%Asia-Pacific averageSomesubjectsoverlap so thetotal can be>100%ChemistryPhysicalsciencesChemistryPhysicalsciencesNATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 27

MATURING RESEARCHAs Singapore’s research enterprise matures — training more PhD students,establishing institutes and attracting corporate research centres— its scope is widening beyond the immediately applicable, and itsresearchers are becoming less dependent on outside input. The countryhas long been a centre for biotechnology — in the NPI nearly three-quartersof papers from the national research body, the Agency for Science,Technology and Research (A*STAR) involve molecular biology — andnow Singapore is devoting significant resources to the study of innovativenew materials. Eight of the 13 Nature group papers submitted fromthe NUS with a corrected count of more than 0.5 fall into this category.In its first year of operation researchers at Nanyang’s Centre forDisruptive Photonic Technologies published significant papers inNature Communications on optical cloaking and a graphene-based lightsensor that received widespread global coverage. The centre, foundedand headed by Nikolay Zheludev, is a good example of how Singaporehas attracted international expertise to establish globally linked researchunits. Another instance is Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner’s MolecularEngineering Laboratory at A*STAR. To broaden Singapore’s researchhorizon Brenner has now established several laboratories where postdoctoralresearchers can work without close supervision on issues thatinterest them.Singapore’s small population can support only a limited number ofinstitutions that contribute to the NPI: about 20 in total. Of those, onlythree carry real weight. NUS at 6th, Nanyang at 12th and A*STAR at 19thare all in the top 20 of the Asia-Pacific region and significant players onthe world stage, holding their own against counterparts in much largercountries. In the Asia-Pacific region, NUS ranks higher than Australia’stop institution, the University of Melbourne. Both NUS and Nanyangscore higher than South Korea’s number one, the Korea Advanced Instituteof Science and Technology. NUS (46) and Nanyang (73) are rocketingup the Global Top 100 — Nanyang up 140 places from 2012. ■INSTITUTIONAL PUBLISHING TRENDSCharting the changes in output from the top institutions* since 2009.Relative change in corrected count (2009 = 1)10987654321020092010201120122013National University of Singapore (NUS)Nanyang Technological University (NTU)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Duke University*These are the only institutions that appear in the NPI in each of the past 5 yearsASIA-PACIFIC RANKNational University of Singapore(NUS)Nanyang Technological University(NTU)Agency for Science, Technologyand Research (A*STAR)Singapore University of Technology& Design (SUTD)Temasek Life Sciences LaboratoryNational Cancer Centre SingaporeNational University Health System(NUHS)NATIONAL RANKCORRECTED COUNT2013 INSTITUTION 20132012 2009–1 361219206216273275SINGAPORE TOP TENSingapore has 3 institutions inthe Asia-Pacific top 200123456717.6112.598.200.510.480.330.33ARTICLES6237403136NATIONAL RANK123467CORRECTED COUNT9.416.633.570.620.260.25ARTICLES473614445NATIONAL RANK1234567CORRECTED COUNT39.6428.0822.281.070.890.640.58ARTICLES17513874103199Researcher density (each figure represents 200 researchers per million inhabitants)307310320Novartis International AGSingapore General HospitalDuke University89100.260.260.2323780.0819100.510.4831SINGAPORE 2013POPULATION: 5.31 MRESEARCHERS: 32,031SOURCE: UNESCO / WORLD BANK28 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

Evolving science communicationIt’s always been our mission to find new and innovative ways to share the latest discoveries in scienceand evolve the discussion amongst the global scientific community. Whether in print, online ormobile Nature is your forum to read, watch, listen and engage with key research, news and opinion.Access Nature your way.NATURE.COM/NATURE

NPIASIA-PACIFICRegional round-upOutside the top five countries in the Asia-Pacific there is a steep drop-off in NPIoutput. Only 3 of the 11 other nations in the region — Taiwan, India and NewZealand — have a corrected count of more than 1.5. Many of the NPI contributionsfrom the remaining eight nations derive from studies about locally relevant issuessuch as important food staples, tropical diseases, ecology and geology.TAIWANIn the five years since 2009, Taiwan’s publishing record in the Natureresearch journals has increased by a greater proportion than any otherAsia-Pacific nation, including China. Yet Taiwan produces less than halfthe output of Singapore.Billionaire tycoon Samuel Yin is using his personal fortune to makeTaiwan a bigger player. In January 2013, he announced a US$100 millioncontribution to create the biennial Tang Prizes, which will bestow higherprize money than the Nobel Prizes. The Academia Sinica, Taiwan’snational research academy, will award the prizes to global leaders in thefields of sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Chinesestudies and the rule of law, beginning in 2014.The Academia Sinica (ranked 27 in the Asia-Pacific) and the NationalTaiwan University (43) account for more than half of Taiwan’s scientificoutput in the NPI. The nation’s other institutions publish just a handfulof articles a year in Nature research journals and are not fixtures.In 2013 Taiwan made its greatest proportional contribution in theNPI subject area of physical sciences, with the nation’s contribution tochemistry and life sciences dropping below the Asia-Pacific average.Three Nature Nanotechnology papers wholly authored by Taiwanesescientists put the country in third place in contributions to that journal.These articles reported on the use of nanomaterials for DNA sequencing,for optical imaging of stem cells and for observing ballistic heat transportat room temperature.INDIAIndia’s recent economic growth has stuttered in the last two years. In2012-13, the country recorded its slowest growth rate in a decade.One fifth of India’s 1.2 billion people live in poverty. It faces hugedemands for improved power, roads, jobs and housing. Yet science, andprogress towards meeting these demands in particular, is hamperedby bureaucracy and corruption. National spending on science andtechnology is still below 2% of GDP.Some recent developments are positive. In late 2012, the Indian governmentoutlined a five-year plan that included a huge boost to spendingon research facilities. This plan proposes, but does not commit thegovernment to, spending 2.5 times more on research and design thanin the previous five years, including contributions to new internationaltelescopes. At home, there are plans for a neutrino observatory, a nextgenerationsynchrotron, two new research reactors, and new institutesin emerging disciplines. The expanded scientific enterprise will entailsignificant increase in the number of researchers per capita — a metricthat is currently an order of magnitude lower in India than in China.The country’s leadership is making encouraging noises; in November,C.N.R. Rao, the science advisor to the prime minister, Manmohan Singh,publicly criticized India’s poor science funding and performance. AndIndia had some notable successes in 2013. In November it launched Mangalyaan,its unmanned Mars Orbiter Mission — the country’s first missionto Mars — one of 58 space missions planned over the next five years.The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) publishes morein the NPI than any other Indian institution. In one notable paper inNature Methods, four scientists from TIFR’s biological sciences departmentdescribed a new technique that lets scientists see the tiny steps takenby protein molecules as they carry material around a cell. On the strengthof that paper, TIFR ranked second in the Asia-Pacific in that journal.NEW ZEALANDNew Zealand science and innovation was boosted in 2013 withthe start of two new programmes. In May, the prime minister,John Key, announced ten National Science Challenges — strategicmultidisciplinary research areas that will produce lasting benefits —with initial funding of NZ$73.5 million (US$62 million) over fouryears on top of the existing budget. More funds were allocated inOctober, on the occasion of the delivery of the first tranche for threeof these challenges: healthy foods, resilience to natural hazards, andunderstanding the Antarctic and Southern Ocean. The last topic isalready a strong focus of New Zealand science and featured in three2013 papers — one in Nature and two in Nature Geoscience — lookingat the dynamics of Antarctica’s ice sheets at different stages of Earth’shistory. Contributions to these papers came from the Victoria Universityof Wellington and the University of Otago.The second new programme concerns commercialization ofinnovative ideas, which will be guided by Callaghan Innovation, a hightechdevelopment institute formally established by the governmentin February. Callaghan Innovation administers more than NZ$140million in R&D grants, as well as conducting its own pure and appliedresearch and offering services to industry. The organization has alreadyfunded more than 10 projects, including helping a start-up companyestablish an electrospinning plant to manufacture nanofibres andaccelerating the growth of a cyber-security business. Both programmesemphasize the importance of collaboration. New Zealand records thehighest level of international collaboration (94% of its Nature researchpapers) of all the Asia-Pacific nations.New Zealand is recognized for climate change and geoscienceresearch. And in the NPI, almost half of its corrected count came fromearth and environmental sciences. New Zealand ranks fourth in theAsia-Pacific in that category, yet its top institution — the Universityof Otago — earned most of its CC from the life sciences, particularlymedicine and genetics. One study, published in Nature Communications,located the receptor in the mouse brain for a protein crucial to fertility;this finding could help research infertility and stimulate the search fornew forms of contraception.The country is still coping with the aftermath of the February 2011earthquake that badly damaged Christchurch. The drop in ranking ofthe academic institution most affected, the University of Canterbury,is not surprising even though it took two years to register in the NPI.In addition to losing buildings and facilities, the university has seen adrop-off in student enrolment and has reduced staff numbers. But in2013, a record number of PhD students enrolled at the university andwill most likely boost research output.30 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPIRESEARCH STRENGTHSSubjects in which Taiwan, India and New Zealand achieved their corrected count.Somesubjectsoverlap so thetotal can be>100%Earth &environmentalsciencesAsia-Pacific averageLifesciences80%60%40%20%0ChemistryPhysicalsciencesTaiwanIndiaNew ZealandREGIONALRANKINGSHow the countriesline upASIA-PACIFIC RANKCORRECTED COUNTARTICLESASIA-PACIFIC RANKCORRECTED COUNTARTICLESASIA-PACIFIC RANKCORRECTED COUNTARTICLESASIA-PACIFIC RANKCORRECTED COUNTARTICLESASIA-PACIFIC RANKCORRECTED COUNTARTICLESCOUNTRY20132012201120102009Japan1290.014621234.403981216.603621173.012661153.83248China2245.194932150.033032110.04225268.12152244.30102Australia3103.76264368.26223364.63172339.63129342.56106South Korea466.89156440.82112441.0192424.8069428.5654Singapore541.52116521.1971513.5053511.264459.1729Taiwan618.8949611.683869.682667.312766.8419India711.454078.242578.533072.931774.0314New Zealand87.923384.642485.302883.0016Malaysia91.351190.76490.72391.221090.433Thailand100.6610100.755100.601100.498100.365Vietnam110.545110.6211110.505110.291Cambodia120.502120.173120.315120.041Indonesia130.343130.122130.313130.111Fiji140.061140.063140.022Mongolia150.021Philippines160.012160.02116=0.071Grey coloured slots in previous years represent the following countries not in this year’s NPI:Myanmar (2011, rank 15), Tonga (2010, rank 12), Papua New Guinea (2012, rank 15; 2011, rank joint-16; 2009, rank 11), Bangladesh (2011, rank 14; 2010, rank 8; 2009, rank 13).OTHER COUNTRIESThe remaining countries in the 2013 NPI are Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia,Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, with onlyMalaysia managing a CC greater than one. However, one Malaysian institution,the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, made the Asia-Pacific Top 200 (at118). In collaboration with US scientists, it published two Nature paperson the genetics of two commercially important oil palm species, Elaeisguineensis from Africa and E. oleifera from South America. Malaysia is theworld’s second-largest producer of palm oil (Indonesia is first), an importantcommodity that accounts for 34% of global vegetable oil production.Most of the papers from Thailand were published in Nature Genetics,including three articles produced by a global consortium on factors associatedwith breast cancer risk. The Thai contributors were the Ministry ofPublic Health and the National Cancer Institute. Researchers in Vietnampublished on the distribution of the dengue virus and on the genetics ofthe malaria parasite in Cambodia. Cambodian scientists contributed to thelatter paper, as well as another genetic study published in Nature Communicationsby scientists from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and collaboratorswho found that mitochondria in aboriginal Cambodian populationssupport the theory of human migration from Africa, via India, around60,000 years ago. Scientists from Mongolia contributed to genetic studieson tigers and other big cats. Researchers in the Philippines publishedon some of the risk factors for coronary heart disease. Fiji’s single authorcollaborated with scientists from Australia, France and New Caledonia toinvestigate how climate change may affect fish stocks in the Pacific Ocean—critical to the future of island nations such as Fiji. ■NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 31

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATURENational University of SingaporeA LEADER IN RESEARCH IN ASIA AND BEYONDFrom its founding in 1905 as a modestmedical school, the National Universityof Singapore (NUS) has developed intoa research-intensive institution that isconsistently ranked among the world’sleading universities.With top researchers and state-ofthe-artfacilities, NUS aspires to createworld-class research peaks on a broadbase of research excellence. A total of23 university-level research institutesand centres, along with 16 faculties andschools, form a dynamic network for educationand research. NUS also hosts threeof Singapore’s five Research Centres ofExcellence (RCEs)—specializing in quantumtechnologies, cancer and mechanobiology—andis a partner in a fourth RCEthat draws on the strengths of NUS in lifesciences and sustainability research.As a global university centred in Asia,NUS brings Asian perspectives and expertiseto bear on issues relevant to theregion and beyond. A rigorous academicculture and a spirit of enterprise drivehigh-impact research and innovation atSingapore’s flagship university.High-Impact ResearchAt NUS, researchers push the boundariesof discovery, with a focus on the developmentof practical research applicationsthat benefit society. Recent highlightsinclude the following:• An NUS research team developedsynthesis strategies that are able to directthe assembly of metallic nanocrystalsinto well-defined ordered structures inwhich every architectural element canbe rationally and independently varied.The architectural engineering of thesestructures, named heterogeneous metallicnanocrystals (HMNCs), has the potentialto further the versatility of metallicnanocrystals and their applications.• A study by researchers at the CancerScience Institute of Singapore at NUShas found that SALL4—a potent stemcell gene and an emerging oncogene(cancer-causing gene)—can be used asa prognostic marker as well as a therapeutictarget for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). The scientists have alsoproposed an approach that inactivatesthe gene to kill HCC cells and preventtumour formation.• NUS researchers have shown that theepitaxial growth of an optically inertNaYF4 layer on NaGdF4@NaGdF4core-shell nanoparticles gives accessto unprecedented and tunable opticalproperties for a broad range ofactivators. This study highlights the possibilityof constructing novel luminescentnanoparticles with high designabilityand tunability, which has important implicationsfor advanced bioimaging.• NUS researchers conducted microscopyand spectroscopy experiments to investigatethe initial growth of Bi on epitaxialgraphene on SiC(0001), finding edge reconstructionsresponsible for energy-gapopening in a Bi(110) nanoribbon. Theresults reveal the semiconducting natureof such Bi nanoribbons, opening up possibilitiesfor room-temperature bismuthnanoribbon-based electronic devices.• NUS researchers have devised a uniqueapproach to co-deliver and co-activatemultiple photosensitizers with singlewavelength near-infrared light.Furthermore, they have demonstratedthat a photosensitizer loaded upconversionfluorescent nanoparticle canbe used as an in vivo targeted photodynamictherapy agent, which may serveas a platform for future non-invasivedeep cancer therapy.To further its research mission, NUScontinues to develop its infrastructure andpursue ventures with key partners. For example,NUS has established a new Centrefor Aerospace Engineering, which will carryout cutting-edge research with its industrypartners, DSO National Laboratories,SIA Engineering and ST Aerospace. TheAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICnew Singapore Centre for NutritionalSciences, Metabolic Diseases and HumanDevelopment was recently launched asa collaboration between the Yong LooLin School of Medicine at NUS and theSingapore Institute for Clinical Sciencesof the Agency for Science, Technologyand Research. The Keppel-NUS CorporateLaboratory—a collaboration betweenNUS, the Keppel Corporation and theNational Research Foundation—is beingset up to meet future challenges of the offshoreindustry.Recognizing that new breakthroughs aremore likely to result from cross-disciplinaryinitiatives than through traditional divisionsof inquiry, NUS has developed integrativeresearch clusters on major themes:Finance and Risk Management, BiomedicalScience and Translational Medicine,Ageing, Integrative Sustainability Solutions,Materials Science, and Asian Studies. Theseclusters provide a novel infrastructure tofoster synergy among specific knowledgedomains, enabling researchers to tacklecomplex, multi-disciplinary issues. Thecross-disciplinary approach is also evidentin its educational programmes, such asthe NUS Graduate School for IntegrativeSciences and Engineering, which encouragesits students to transcend traditionalsubject boundaries.Alliances at Home and AbroadThrough key alliances in the East and West,NUS further fosters research and educationin Singapore and overseas. For example, atthe Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School,Phase II of the partnership to provide medicaleducation and conduct patient-orientedresearch is underway. Yale-NUS College,opened in August 2013, is ushering in a newmodel of liberal arts and science educationfor a complex, globalized world.The University Town at NUS is home tothe national-level Campus for Research,Technology and Enterprise (CREATE),an initiative of the National ResearchFoundation of Singapore. CREATE houses15 interdisciplinary groups from 10 renowneduniversities—MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, ETH Zurich,Technical University of Munich, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem, Ben-GurionUniversity, Peking University, Shanghai JiaoTong University, University of Cambridge,and University of California, Berkeley.NUS also leverages the close proximityof its main campus to several ofSingapore’s key science and technologyhubs, building partnerships with industrialand government entities. Additionalcollaborations are facilitated by NUSEnterprise, a university-level clusterdedicated to promoting enterprise andmanaging the University’s intellectualproperty in various fields.Further afield, NUS was the first foreignuniversity to establish a research institutein the Suzhou Industrial Park, one ofthe most developed industrial zones inChina. NUS has also signed an agreementregarding the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, with plans of using the eco-city asa basis to study the impact, benefits andchallenges of developing green buildings.As a thought leader in Asia, NUS takes anactive role in developing global initiatives.NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuanhas been appointed the Chair of the GlobalUniversity Leaders Forum (GULF) by theWorld Economic Forum for a two-year termcommencing in 2014. He has also recentlybeen appointed to the Global LearningCouncil, a new consortium of educationand technology research leaders, created byCarnegie Mellon University (CMU).In its global approach to transformativeeducation and cutting-edge research, NUSstrives to provide real-world solutions andinfluence the world’s future for the better.nus.edu.sgAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NPIASIA-PACIFICA guide to the NPIA complete guide to understanding the compilation, structure and definitionsused in the Nature Publishing Index. For more information seenature.asia/publishing-index.The Nature Publishing Index (NPI) is maintained by NaturePublishing Group (NPG), a division of Macmillan Publishersthat publishes Nature, the international science weekly, andmore than 30 Nature-branded primary research and review journalscovering a broad spectrum of the life sciences, physical and chemicalsciences, and clinical medicine. NPG journals are among the most citedin scientific literature and are renowned for their publication of highquality,high-impact research.The NPI ranks institutions and countries/territories according to thenumber of primary research articles they publish in the Nature family ofjournals in a one-year period. It presents both raw numbers of publishedarticles with author affiliations to a given country or institution, and acorrected count (CC) adjusted according to the relative contribution ofeach author to each article based on the percentage of authors from thatinstitution or country in the paper's affiliations. This CC is tallied over aperiod of one year and is used to measure contribution to Nature researchjournals. Only articles printed during the ranking period are included— advance online publications are not included until assigned an issuenumber and sent to press. The Nature Publishing Index 2013 Asia-Pacificcovers the period from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013.The index, online at nature.asia/publishing-index, is updated everyweek with a moving window of one year of data. The index websiteprovides links to the abstracts of all articles used to calculate CCs,providing the details of individual papers and authors contributing toan institution or country’s rank in the index and making the index fullytransparent. It also provides data for review articles published in Naturejournals for the Asia-Pacific region. Review articles are not included in theannual rankings, however, because reviews are commissioned by journaleditors rather than being submitted by researchers.NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX ASIA-PACIFICThe Asia-Pacific index is updated weekly and includes articles publishedin the latest issues of the Nature journals. Users of the index websitecan subscribe for email alerts to keep up to date with the latest resultsfrom the region. A print publication presenting the frozen data for eachcalendar year is published each year.NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX GLOBAL TOP 100The Global Top 100 is an index of the top 100 institutions based onpublications in Nature and the Nature research journals. The index isupdated annually in March.CORRECTED COUNTThe NPI is based on an article’s CC — a calculation that takes into accountthe number of affiliated institutions per author and the percentage ofauthors per institution. All authors are factored to have contributedequally to each article. The maximum CC for any article is 1.0.The overall CC for a country/territory reflects the sum of the correctedcounts of all institutions in that region. The rules governing thecalculation of CC with respect to the way affiliations are presented areadjusted regularly to account for new scenarios.The NPI is based on affiliation data drawn from Nature journal articlespublished on nature.com. There is great variability in the way authorspresent their affiliations and every effort is made to count affiliationsconsistently, making reasonable assumptions (outlined on the indexwebsite) to determine the CCs, which are approximations based on theseassumptions and no counts are definitive.RANKINGS, GRAPHS AND LISTSCountry rankingsCountries and territories are ranked according to CC and can also be filteredby article type using the selector at the top of the page. Clicking on acountry name will display a list of institutions within that country/territory.Institution rankingsThe institutional rankings track institutions in the Asia-Pacific region(including India and Australasia) according to their CC. Data for primaryresearch articles (Articles, Letters and Brief Communications), reviews ora combination of both can be viewed by selecting the appropriate tab inthe article filter at the top of the page. By default, the top 50 institutions arelisted; clicking on ‘Show all’ at the bottom of the list will display all of theinstitutions. Clicking on the number in the ‘Articles’ column displays a listof all the articles from that particular institution.Global institutional rankings are also available on the Global Top100 website. The global index page shows the list of institutions rankedby CC. Clicking on the number in the ‘Articles’ column lists the NPGarticles contributing to the corrected count.Rankings by Nature journalThe journal rankings group all articles from the Asia-Pacific regionaccording to Nature research journal, and can be filtered by article type.By default, the top five institutions are listed for each journal. Clicking on‘Show All’ lists all of the institutions from the Asia-Pacific that have affiliationslisted in that journal, and clicking on the number of articles displaysa list of the articles from that journal with affiliations from that institution.Rankings by subject areaThe rankings by subject area track institutions in the Asia-Pacific regionin four subject areas: chemistry, earth & environment, life sciences andphysical sciences.Historical rankingsThe historical rankings track data by Asia-Pacific country for primaryresearch articles (reviews are not included) for past years. Clicking onthe year at the top of the table displays the rankings for that year basedon the CC.Historical graphsThese graphs provide a visual representation of the historical data basedon research articles (only). Users can select up to five institutions orcountries and the graph can be redrawn to represent the selection.Latest researchThe latest research section provides a breakdown of the latestpublications in Nature journals from the Asia-Pacific region by country/territory, including journal name and article title. ■34 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPITHE NPI ONLINE: HOW IT WORKSResearch published in Nature journals from the Asia-Pacific region can be tracked online through a comprehensiveservice which is updated weekly. nature.asia/publishing-index-asia-pacific offers a 12-month rolling view of howinstitutions are ranking and the journal in which to find particular articles, letters and brief communications.Article filterAn article filter at the top of most ranking lists allows usersto track research articles and gives an option to accessdata on reviewsExpanded AffiliationsMany organizations, such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences andSingapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), areumbrella agencies for many affiliated institutions. Such organizations areindicated by a plus mark (‘+’) in the index lists and can be expanded toshow the contribution from each constituent institutionResearch ArticlesThis is the default displayreflecting the index's focus onprimary research articlesTo view a list of articles clickon the number in the righthand column. Rankings bycountry, by journal andhistorical data from the lastfive years are also availableResearch Articles Reviews AllInstitution1. The University of Tokyo, Japan2. - Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), ChinaShanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences(SIBS), CASCorrected Count 3 Articles 441.8638.94120946.4215Research Articles Reviews AllInstitutionCorrected Count 2 Articles 3Institute of Biophysics (IBP), CASInstitute of Physics (IOP), CAS4.673.61591. The University of Tokyo, Japan39.41162. + Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China3. Kyoto University, Japan4. + RIKEN, Japan5. Osaka University, Japan37.8822.4718.9618.1891557854Clicking on a plus mark (+) willshow any affiliated institutions ofan organization, listed in orderof their corrected countClicking on an article countbrings up a chronologicallist of the research articlesand reviews published bythat institution in the last12 monthsResearch Articles Reviews AllInstitution1. The University of Auckland, New Zealand2. The University of Sydney, Australia3. The University of Tokyo, Japan4. Monash University, AustraliaReviewsThis displays data forreview articles5. The University of Melbourne, AustraliaCorrected Count 2 Articles 33.2542.742.4642.452.095ArticlesThe number of articles encompasses the total contributions of a particularinstitution or country and each body is credited once per article. Clickingon the number of articles in any of the index ranking lists presents acomplete list of the articles published by an institution or country/territoryin the past year. Among these are the articles counted in the index alongwith the Nature journal in which it was published and the corrected countthe article achieved. Hovering over the article title reveals its DOI andclicking on the title opens the article abstract on nature.comResearch Articles Reviews AllJournalNatureTitle CC 2An integrated encyclopedia of DNA elementsin the human genome0.02Nature BiotechnologyGenome mapping on nanochannel arrays forstructural variation analysis and sequence assembly0.09AllThis displays bothprimary research articlesand reviewsNature Cell BiologyNature Cell Biologyc-Abl promotes osteoblast expansion by differentiallyregulating canonical and non-canonical BMP pathwaysand p16 expressionc-Abl promotes osteoblast expansion by differentiallyregulating canonical and non-canonical BMP pathwaysand p16 expression0.220.22Research Articles Reviews AllInstitution1. The University of Tokyo, Japan2. + Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China3. Kyoto University, Japan4. + RIKEN, Japan5. Osaka University, JapanCorrected Count 3 Articles 441.8612038.949422.475520.858218.5956Nature Cell BiologyClicking on the titleof the article leadsto its full text on thejournal websitec-Abl promotes osteoblast expansion by differentiallyregulating canonical and non-canonical BMP pathwaysand p16 expressionThese rankings are updated weeklyand are based upon paperspublished as research Articles,Letters and Brief Communicationsin Nature and Nature monthlyresearch journals (excludingjournals from scientific societies)0.22NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 35

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATUREThe University of TokyoDEMONSTRATING STRATEGIC LEADERSHIPWhen, in 1877, the University of Tokyo wasestablished, it was a leading force in thegovernment’s efforts to modernize Japan.Now as Japan struggles to redefine itselfin a new and complicated internationalsetting, where academic activity is inherentlya global and competitive activity,that leadership role is just as significant,says Yoichiro Matsumoto, the university’sexecutive vice president. Its mission is big:to define what Japan’s future will be.The government has been strugglingto do this. “What kind of country theywant to make out of Japan and what kindof leadership role Japan will play in theworld are not clear. There is also no strategyfor bringing such a vision to reality,”he says. The University of Tokyo seeks tofill this void under the strategic leadershipof President Junichi Hamada.Central to those efforts are theuniversity’s basic research projects. “Evenif they take time to initiate and theirsignificance is not immediately clear tosome people, our basic research projectshave helped to build an economic andcultural foundation at home and theyhave even become an asset for the wholeregion. The combination of inventionsmakes real innovation,” says Matsumoto.University researchers are leadingseveral of the collaborative Center ofInnovation programs recently selected bythe government. These projects set priorities—suchas mental and physical healthand sustainability—for a Japan ten yearsin the future and seek innovative ways tomake that vision a reality. The research ismeant to be “high risk” and is accompaniedby risk management policies. HiroshiKiyono, for example, is collecting healthrelateddata from a million Japaneseto create a health and longevity policyplatform while ensuring ethical use ofthe data. Makoto Gonokami is harnessingcoherent photon technology to createinnovative manufacturing techniques—“without screws, welding and with littleburden on the environment.” The universityalso received funding from theProgram for Leading Graduate Schools,which aims to overhaul graduate educationwhile cultivating new academic andindustrial leaders.To carry out its research mission, theuniversity will have to balance demandsfrom the government that threaten tonarrow, rather than expand, the focus ofuniversities. Over the past several years,the government has tended to push universitiesto make profit and assume shortsightedgovernance policies.Indeed, times have been tough forJapanese universities. Full-time tenurepositions are decreasing as universitiesrely more on temporary academic positions.Following severe budget cuts, onehalfof funding for top universities nowcomes from competitive grants and otherexternal funds, compared to one-thirdless than a decade ago. With an increasedburden from administrative duties andgrant-writing, professors have less timeto spend on research even though theywork longer hours.The University of Tokyo and ten othertop universities teamed up in 2009 totake stock of the situation. They are, forexample, finding ways to increase thevisibility of Japanese universities. They arealso working with a consortium of topEuropean universities to boost exchangesas part of efforts to reverse a worrisometrend—the drop in the number ofJapanese students who go abroad.The road ahead is full of challenges, butthey are confident that the accumulatedwisdom from the university’s hundredplus years of history will offer “a viewfrom a higher perspective,” one that will“optimize the entire society.”www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICRacing against viral evolutionThe H7N9 strain that ripped throughShanghai killing dozens last spring testedour capacity to understand new viruses andChina’s ability to contain an epidemic. It wastragic—but through concerted efforts byhealth officials and researchers around theglobe, a much worse scenario was averted.Such sustained, global efforts, rooted in adynamic research network, have becomecrucial part of our efforts to avoid a pandemic.Yoshihiro Kawaoka’s laboratory at theUniversity of Tokyo is a vital hub in this globalbattle. Kawaoka has set himself a challenge:to understand, and ultimately predict, thepandemic potential of influenza viruses bypicking them apart at the molecular level.“Unless we unravel the viral and cellulardeterminants and mechanisms that definedisease severity and transmissibility, we willnot be able to predict the pandemic potentialof novel strains, which would allow usto implement countermeasures to curtailfuture pandemics,” he says.His group was the first to figure out that theH7N9 virus can replicate in the lower respiratorytracts of nonhuman primates, offering anexplanation of the virulence and high fatalityrate witnessed last spring. The research,enabled by generous sharing of materials byscientists at the Chinese National InfluenzaCenter that allowed Kawaoka to quicklyobtain viral samples, also demonstrated thatthe virus can be transmitted by respiratorydroplets in ferrets, suggesting that a globalpandemic in humans was a real possibility.Ferrets have become a seminal model forstudying the molecular mechanisms involvedin the transmission of influenza viruses thanksto Kawaoka’s previous pioneering study of theH5N1 virus. Highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenzaviruses have circulated in parts of Asiafor over a decade, infected more than 600people, and killed more than 350 of them. Butsince sustained human-to-human transmissionhad not been witnessed, some dismissedthese viruses as low risk. Kawaoka’s studyshowed how a mutation in a viral receptorencodinggene could turn it into virus transmissiblethough respiratory droplets. “Thisfinding calls for the continued developmentand stock-piling of vaccines against highlypathogenic avian H5N1 influenza viruses andthus has major implications for pandemic preparednessplanning,” says Kawaoka.The viral genomes are always changing,and even subtle changes can have a devastatingoutcome. Kawaoka’s group demonstrated,for example, that the strain ofH1N1 circulating in 2009 was more pathogenicthan previously known H1N1 strains.In particular, their animal studies showedsevere lesions in the lungs of mice, ferrets,and non-human primates. “These findingshighlighted the potential threat to humanhealth of new emerging influenza viruses,”says Kawaoka.Constant vigilance is necessary, and theUniversity of Tokyo has made that possible.The biosafety-level 3 laboratory enablesthe team to study virulent pathogens. And,Kawaoka says, hard-working and creativestudents turn around experiments quickly.This next generation in the battle against apandemic is receiving comprehensive trainingin various virology techniques, learningreverse genetics and the production of largevirus mutant libraries, interacting with scientistsfrom different backgrounds and institutions,and presenting findings at nationaland international scientific meetings.These young researchers will be neededin the future. Thousands of influenza virusstrains have been sequenced, and the basicfunctions of influenza virus proteins havebeen studied for several decades. Despite allthese advances, “we still do not understandthe key features that determine the severity ofinfluenza virus infections in humans, and thetransmissibility of influenza viruses amonghumans,” says Kawaoka. The race to keep upwith rapidly evolving viruses will continue.Division of Virology, Department ofMicrobiology and Immunology, Institute ofMedical Sciencewww.ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp/imsut/en/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATUREDeep and wide, SuMIRe surveys the cosmosLast year, the Andromeda galaxy was capturedas never before. By spreading acrossthe sky with the area of ten full moons, theSubaru Telescope caught the entire galaxyin one shot. And the color image had sucha high resolution—870 million pixels—thatindividual stars could be picked out andgalaxies billions of light years away could beseen through the Andromeda galaxy’s disk.The image was made possible by theSuMIRe project, a collaboration led bythe Kavli Institute for the Physics andMathematics of the Universe at TheUniversity of Tokyo. Project scientistswill combine imaging and spectroscopyto conduct a large-scale census of theuniverse with an ambitious mission: “Theultimate goal is to understand the originand fate of the Universe,” says HitoshiMurayama, the institute’s director.The Subaru Telescope, built by theNational Astronomical Observatory ofJapan and one of the world’s largest telescopes,can peer deep enough into spaceto pick up faint objects billions of lightyears away. At the same time, it boasts thebiggest field of view, about 1,000 timesthat of the Hubble Space Telescope and100 times that of other ground-basedtelescopes with similar apertures.SuMIRe will enhance that power. Thefirst phase of the project is an imagingsurvey using the Hyper Suprime-Cam(HSC), a new camera whose wide field ofview enabled the capture of Andromedaand whose wide aperture allows it to godeeper than a competing project (theDark Energy Survey in Chile). This phaseis already approved to run for 300 nightson Subaru—what Murayama calls, “anunprecedented allocation on a sharedcommunity facility.”The second phase is a spectroscopic surveyusing a Prime Focus Spectrograph onSubaru. This spectrograph will catapult thesensitivity to levels that allow researchers toanalyse the nature of dark energy, therebyuncovering the fate of the universe.The project is led by Kavli IPMU, butmany international collaborators playessential roles. Princeton University andJohns Hopkins University bring experiencein large-scale census and camera design.The California Institute of Technology andthe Jet Propulsion Laboratory use theirexpertise to build tiny robots that controloptical fibers with tremendous accuracy.Researchers from Marseille contributeknowledge in design and optics. A Brazilianteam proved very good at handling opticalfibers. Taiwan’s Academia Sinica Instituteof Astronomy and Astrophysics buildprecision mechanical devices. Of course,bringing all that expertise together takesa toll: “Teleconferences that involve fourcontinents are very difficult to schedule.Somebody gets sleep deprived,” saysMurayama. “But lacking any one of them,the project would not succeed.”These international partnerships helpedSuMIRe ‘rise from the ashes’ after one of itsJapanese grants was slashed. The projectstill faces a challenge—namely a $20 millionshortfall—but Murayama hopes theJapanese government will come through.There’s too much to lose, especially forthe country’s reputation in hosting internationalpartners. “Once the survey startsthis year, our young scientists will have anample opportunity to exploit the power ofthe beautiful data set,” says Murayama.Those data hold an unprecedentedrange of astronomical possibilities. Theseinclude studies of the tiny variations in densitycreated when the entire universe wassmaller than an atomic nucleus and inferencesabout the distribution of dark matterthat formed stars and galaxies. In addition,researchers will be able to measure the universe’sexpansion with such precision thatthey will be able to calculate whether it willexpand for ever or reach an end.www.ipmu.jp/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICAmmonia revolutionThe Haber-Bosch process, which convertsatmospheric nitrogen to ammonia,revolutionized agriculture in the earlytwentieth century. As the crucial industrialprocess in the production of fertilizer, thisprocess accounts for about half of thenitrogen that is contained in our DNA andproteins. “It’s no exaggeration to say thathalf of our bodies are made in the factorythrough the Haber-Bosch process,” saysYoshiaki Nishibayashi.But Nishibayashi wants to do away with it.At his laboratory in the Universityof Tokyo’s Institute of EngineeringInnovation, Nishibayashi is taking on thechallenge of finding a substitute process.The problem with the Haber Boschprocess is that it requires a huge amountof energy.“One of the most important challengesfacing chemists is to find a way to fixnitrogen that doesn’t use fossil fuels andthat is energy efficient,” says Nishibayashi.“It’s our ultimate goal.”His team has succeeded in creatingammonia from nitrogen at roomtemperature and standard pressure usinga molybdenum complex as a catalyst.While he admits that there are stillmany problems to be worked out, he isconfident that this discovery will lead toa next-generation nitrogen fixing process.Using a simple iron complex asa catalyst, he has also synthesizedsilylamine, which can be readily turnedinto ammonium by adding water. Thiswas the first time anyone had synthesizedammonia from nitrogen gas at ambientpressure and temperature using anythingbut molybdenum.Now, the challenge is to makethe process sufficiently efficient. Themolybdenum catalytic reaction that iscurrently used in Nishibayashi’s laboratoryis six times more efficient than the firstsuccessful conversion using molybdenumin 2003, but it is still not feasible.Nishibayashi is now pursuing techniquesto increase that efficiency by improvingthe catalytic activation. Another problem isthat the process requires costly hydrogenand reducing agents. “We need to find acheaper way to make this reaction work,”he says. His team is currently analyzing thestructure of the reaction to find solutionsto these problems. His next target is todevelop a catalytic reaction to synthesizeammonia from nitrogen gas and hydrogengas, something he thinks possible basedon his success in doing the same using astoichiometric reaction 15 years ago. Hisultimate goal, however, is to develop a processfor the catalytic formation of ammoniafrom dinitrogen, water and sunlight.The challenges are many, but theSchool of Engineering has providedsignificant support in overcoming them.Starting in 2005, for example, Nishibayashiwas selected for a Young LeadersCultivation Program. These grants aimto raise the next generation of scientistsand engineers: “they have given me thechance to supervise the laboratory andfocus on science at the same time. Thisresearch wouldn’t have been possibleotherwise,” says Nishibayashi.Success in these endeavours willhave many great and unpredictableimplications. Ammonia effectively storesand transports hydrogen, so a cheap andsustainably produced source could bea boon for a hydrogen-fuelled society.Researchers are now investigating itspotential use in fuel cell batteries. Japan isjust starting a national project to developthese ideas. Of course the most importantand most urgent application is to save theearth from the environmental menaceresulting menace resulting from the theHaber-Bosch process. “For the futuredevelopment of mankind, it’s somethingwe must do,” says Nishibayashi.Institute of Engineering Innovation,School of Engineeringhttp://sogo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATUREMaking the most of magnetic materialsMagnetic recording media that possessunprecedented reliability, hybrid motorsthat do not depend on rare earth elements,next-generation wireless communicationsthat ensure stable andsecure transmission, and paint that canprotect signals coming from a sensitivesurgical device from interference or blockunwanted phone calls in a movie theatre.These are just some of the vast array ofapplications of magnetic chemistry beingdeveloped by researchers at Shin-ichiOhkoshi’s laboratory at The Universityof Tokyo.Most recently, the team developed amagnet that could switch the polarizationplane of light by 90 degrees. Thisdiscovery, which could be used in opticalswitching or optical memory for computers,resulted from an investigationinto the relationship between the crystalstructure of Prussian blue materials andtheir magnetic and optical properties. Thediscovery built on earlier work in whichthe properties of Prussian blue were usedto make magnets that were sensitive tohumidity and non-magnets that could beturned into magnets when they were irradiatedwith light.The group has also given new life toiron oxides, which are safe and cheap butwhose use in magnets has been limitedbecause of their small coercive force. Theε-iron oxides synthesized in Ohkoshi’slaboratory have, even at room temperature,a coercive field greater than any seenin ferrite magnets—useful features formanufacturers of hybrid motors and magneticrecording media.Titanium oxide, which is often usedin cosmetics and white pigments, alsogot a makeover. The λ-titanium oxidedeveloped by Ohkoshi’s group is the firstexample of a metal oxide exhibiting lightinducedphase transition at room temperature.Using this λ-titanium oxide couldproduce much optical recording mediawith higher density than conventionalgermanium-antimony-tellurium opticaldiscs. Moreover, because of the low pressureof its phase transition, “λ-Ti 3O 5has thepossibility as a solar heat storage materialin which solar heat is stored and energy isreleased by pressure,” says Ohkoshi.These exciting developments have beena boon for up-and-coming researchers.Members of Ohkoshi’s laboratory havereceived over 20 awards, including posterpresentation awards at international conferences,The University of Tokyo PresidentPrize, and the Dean of School of SciencePrize. “I push my staff members or studentsto present at conferences,” says Ohkoshi.Ohkoshi’s team now sits in a dense webof international collaborations in whichit provides samples or carries out jointmeasurements with some 20 researchgroups in Europe, the USA, China, andelsewhere. Ohkoshi has worked with aUK research group through a Japan-UKexchanging program, served as an invitedprofessor at Durham University in the UK,the University of Pierre and Marie Curieand the University of Bordeaux in France,and, most recently, Palacký University inthe Czech Republic as part of a EuropeanUnion project. In Tokyo, he also hostsprofessors, researchers, and students fromuniversities around the world.Efforts by The University of Tokyo’sTechnology Licensing Organization andthe Division of University CorporateRelations to exploit the research havepaid off with 115 patent applications and46 registered patents. Unsurprisingly, theunique and powerful technology is luringin industry: Ohkoshi collaborates withmore than 20 companies, and another60 parties from within Japan and outsidehave expressed interest. “I strive to makea harmonious research environment thatcan contribute to society,” he says.Department of Chemistrywww.chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICOpening up channelsMembrane channels that allow proteins,ions and other molecules to pass in andout of cells and the membrane transportersthat drive this process carry outa bewildering range of subtle functions,including ensuring that the appropriatemolecules pass through membranes atthe correct times. A basic understandingof these mechanisms could be applied tothe development of more effective drugsfor cancer, better antibiotics, and newmethods for studying and treating mentaldisorders, but the key molecules involvedare difficult to isolate and characterize.The University of Tokyo’s Osamu Nurekiis not fazed. He brings a powerful array ofanalytic techniques, including x-ray crystallography,x-ray free electron laser imaging,molecular kinetic simulations, genetic andpatch clamp analyses, and spectroscopic assays,to bear on these tiny but critical players.His goal is practical and conceptual.“Using these tools, I want to understandthe various molecular mechanisms ofdifferent membrane channels and membranetransporters. Based on that, I wantto find a common principle working inthe diverse mechanisms,” says Nureki.For example, a recent study used highresolution imaging to show how membranechannels called channelrhodopsinsopen when activated by light. Many researchersnow manipulate channelrhodopsinswith light to study single neurons evenin live, moving animals, and others are investigatingwhether this effect can be usedto treat patients with psychiatric diseases.Nureki’s study offers the potential to designnew forms of channelrhodopsins. “Weshould be able to make new tools that canbe used in basic neuroscience and contributeto the development of new treatmentsfor mental health problems,” says Nureki.Another transporter named MATE,which is very active in the liver and kidney,helps to expel drugs and other foreignchemical compounds from cells. Nurekiproduced high-resolution, three-dimensionalimages of MATE alone and whenbinding antibiotics. The images showedMATE to be composed of two lobes of sixmembrane-penetrating helices that, dependingon pH levels, take on one of twoformations — one straight and one bent.The analysis shows how a drug is recognizedand, when MATE is in the bent form,expelled from the cell.The results of the MATE study also suggestedclinical applications. Expression ofMATE in pathogens can make them resistantto antibiotics, and expression in cancercells can make the cells resistant to chemotherapy.In such cases, inhibiting MATEwould help to improve the effectivenessof these drugs. Nureki screened peptidesthat bind with MATE and found inhibitoryproteins that penetrate bacterial membranesand disable MATE. “Since any drugsare usually expelled from the cell, until nowit’s been impossible to make an inhibitoryprotein to MATE. We’ve opened the path todoing just that.”Nureki wants to continue the work,focusing on the relationship between thedynamics of the membrane channels andhigher order processes such as pathogenesisand aging. He also wants to map outthe range of impacts that other physicalfactors—light, temperature, pressure,electric field variation—have on the channelsand the related proteins. Eventuallyhe wants to link these high-resolutionstructural analyses to drug development,and he already collaborates with Japan’sbig drug makers.Nureki credits access to the world’smost powerful synchrotron light atSPring-8 and outstanding graduate studentsat The University of Tokyo with theseries of successes. “Being able to getgreat students on consistent basis wasthe biggest support,” he says.Department of Biophysics andBiochemistry, Graduate School of Sciencewww.nurekilab.net/index.php/enAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NPIASIA-PACIFICAsia-Pacific Top 200The 2013 edition of the Nature Publishing Index (NPI) includes 757 institutions based in the Asia-Pacific region, up from 738 last year.Below are the top 200, ranked by corrected count (CC), with last year’s scores shown for comparison alongside the 5-year cumulativetotals. International institutions that have labs in the Asia-Pacific region are included; funding agencies are excluded.For more information see A guide to the NPI (page 34) ■2013 2012 2009–2013CORRECTEDCOUNTRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY (CC) ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES1 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 63.15 165 2 36.38 93 2 147.70 3992 The University of Tokyo Japan 57.19 128 1 39.72 116 1 206.76 5093 Kyoto University Japan 23.57 58 3 22.47 55 3 106.63 2484 RIKEN Japan 21.88 81 4 19.14 79 4 93.71 3255 Osaka University Japan 17.98 40 5 18.22 54 5 84.05 2146 National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore 17.61 62 9 9.41 47 10 39.64 1757 Tohoku University Japan 17.41 49 12 8.55 27 6 52.63 1508 The University of Melbourne Australia 15.33 69 6 10.78 48 7 44.02 2059 University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) China 15.11 37 8 9.46 17 9 39.67 8710 Tsinghua University China 13.83 39 10 8.99 34 11 39.39 11611 Australian National University (ANU) Australia 12.64 33 13 8.10 21 12 34.91 9412 Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore 12.59 37 35 3.57 14 23 22.28 7413 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) South Korea 12.12 23 27 4.03 15 18 26.93 6614 Peking University China 11.16 48 11 8.72 35 15 33.15 13115 Nagoya University Japan 10.68 33 7 10.50 30 8 41.41 11716 The University of Queensland (UQ) Australia 10.62 50 15 7.08 41 13 34.22 15917 BGI China 10.50 32 18 6.27 20 20 23.86 7318 Hokkaido University Japan 8.45 25 20 5.47 17 19 23.89 7119 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore 8.20 40 16 6.63 36 17 28.08 13820 Seoul National University South Korea 8.14 37 24 4.60 26 14 34.18 12521 Nanjing University China 7.89 19 49 2.35 6 31 17.79 4922 Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) South Korea 7.34 18 58 1.95 5 32 16.97 4523 The University of New South Wales Australia 7.33 31 33 3.82 22 28 18.17 8924 National Institute for Material Science (NIMS) Japan 6.89 16 36 3.25 15 26 19.05 5525 The University of Sydney Australia 6.51 37 25 4.44 24 21 23.79 12926 Monash University Australia 6.33 30 32 3.88 21 24 21.65 8827 Academia Sinica Taiwan 6.33 25 37 3.21 20 35 14.71 6128 The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Australia 6.33 29 29 3.96 16 29 18.11 7629 Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan 6.21 18 23 4.60 16 30 17.91 6830 National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) Japan 6.07 22 96 1.16 7 40 12.88 5331 Keio University Japan 6.01 22 28 3.96 19 25 19.66 6732 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Japan 5.98 15 14 7.30 23 16 28.82 8733 The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) Australia 5.89 22 68 1.70 8 41 12.86 5334 Kyushu University Japan 5.79 13 19 5.81 20 22 22.39 7435 Fudan University China 5.72 25 30 3.90 13 36 14.67 6836 Zhejiang University China 5.70 25 22 4.70 15 33 15.64 6437 Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) China 5.63 35 17 6.62 30 27 18.87 10138 NTT Group Japan 5.51 10 38 3.16 5 37 13.77 2539 The University of Hong Kong (HKU) China 4.99 18 41 2.92 14 34 15.01 5740 Sungkyunkwan University South Korea 4.87 17 34 3.67 10 38 13.77 4241 Sun Yat-sen University China 4.79 17 51 2.24 12 52 8.54 4442 Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) Japan 4.63 13 40 2.93 11 44 11.04 3643 National Taiwan University Taiwan 4.29 11 60 1.87 14 56 7.92 3544 Xiamen University China 4.16 9 47 2.38 6 39 13.13 2545 Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) India 3.94 9 79 1.46 3 50 9.28 1942 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPI2013 2012 2009–2013RANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES46 Korea University South Korea 3.80 12 46 2.43 6 42 12.82 4347 University of Tsukuba Japan 3.39 11 39 3.04 12 43 11.25 4348 China Agricultural University China 3.23 10 91 1.19 7 79 5.42 2549 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd South Korea 2.91 7 61 1.85 6 47 10.37 2550 Yokohama City University Japan 2.89 12 162 0.55 4 62 6.79 3351 The University of Tokushima Japan 2.68 8 99 1.10 4 91 4.42 2052 Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College China 2.58 14 50 2.34 15 63 6.77 4853 The University of Western Australia (UWA) Australia 2.58 24 57 2.00 26 45 10.67 10254 Kobe University Japan 2.58 8 62 1.84 6 55 7.96 3355 Kumamoto University Japan 2.46 9 52 2.19 12 76 5.46 2756 Sichuan Agricultural University (SAU) China 2.44 3 173 0.48 2 120 2.95 657 Tianjin University China 2.44 5 88 1.21 3 98 3.75 1058 Xi'an Jiaotong University China 2.42 10 98 1.11 7 78 5.44 2359 Okayama University Japan 2.41 11 86 1.24 5 73 5.62 2460 Hiroshima University Japan 2.40 10 42 2.77 11 48 9.84 4361 Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) China 2.25 11 48 2.36 10 66 6.21 3162 Macquarie University Australia 2.09 13 95 1.17 8 65 6.29 3763 The Chinese University of Hong Kong China 2.06 12 77 1.53 10 68 6.07 3264 Swinburne University of Technology Australia 2.06 5 100 1.08 4 84 4.96 1565 National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS) Japan 2.05 5 164 0.53 3 94 4.04 1466 The University of Adelaide Australia 2.02 15 125 0.78 8 89 4.54 4667 University of Otago New Zealand 2.01 12 87 1.21 5 61 7.08 3968 James Cook University (JCU) Australia 1.98 11 31 3.89 12 58 7.24 3369 Tokyo Medical and Dental University Japan 1.93 11 65 1.79 10 49 9.73 5070 China University of Geosciences China 1.89 3 97 1.12 5 99 3.62 1571 The University of Auckland New Zealand 1.88 7 134 0.68 5 70 5.98 3272 Jilin University China 1.87 10 143 0.63 6 92 4.22 2573 Yonsei University South Korea 1.86 13 21 5.46 14 46 10.58 4374 Northwest A & F University China 1.85 4 454 0.05 1 154 2.10 675 Dalian University of Technology (DUT) China 1.84 4 275 0.17 2 135 2.43 1076 Nanjing Medical University China 1.83 10 70 1.67 11 72 5.74 2977 Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Japan 1.80 2 336 0.12 2 158 2.06 678 Second Military Medical University China 1.80 9 89 1.21 8 57 7.47 2979 Gunma University Japan 1.78 7 180 0.45 4 122 2.79 1880 Sichuan University China 1.74 8 221 0.26 7 125 2.53 2481 Tongji University China 1.69 9 116 0.83 8 121 2.90 2382 Institute for Basic Science (IBS) South Korea 1.69 9 629 0.01 1 179 1.70 1083 Tokyo University of Science Japan 1.65 8 55 2.08 6 82 5.26 2184 Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) South Korea 1.62 5 69 1.67 4 107 3.29 985 Tianjin Medical University China 1.62 5 382 0.08 3 178 1.70 886 University of Tasmania Australia 1.59 9 74 1.57 11 80 5.31 3687 Hanyang University South Korea 1.56 9 43 2.62 11 59 7.14 3088 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) China 1.53 13 64 1.80 17 64 6.44 4489 Soochow University China 1.52 7 175 0.47 4 123 2.70 1990 National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing (NIBS, Beijing) China 1.51 8 53 2.18 4 53 8.09 2291 Indian Institute of Science India 1.50 2 677 0.01 1 156 2.08 892 Beijing Normal University China 1.49 4 200 0.34 2 129 2.49 1393 Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand 1.48 8 307 0.14 3 108 3.29 2094 Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) China 1.46 8 135 0.67 2 146 2.24 1295 East China Normal University China 1.43 6 67 1.72 4 96 3.86 1596 Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) South Korea 1.41 7 84 1.33 6 85 4.93 2197 Niigata University Japan 1.41 7 288 0.16 2 182 1.68 1198 Hunan University China 1.40 3 - - - 199 1.48 499 National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) Taiwan 1.38 3 73 1.61 4 95 4.03 16100 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) India 1.37 5 45 2.48 7 81 5.30 21101 East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) China 1.36 3 93 1.19 2 119 2.98 7NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 43

NPIASIA-PACIFIC2013 2012 2009–2013RANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES102 The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai) Japan 1.35 9 110 0.91 5 90 4.51 28103 Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) China 1.35 4 26 4.41 14 60 7.10 26104 Sogang University South Korea 1.34 3 - - - 134 2.45 8105 Wuhan University China 1.32 3 94 1.18 6 116 3.02 15106 Chiba University Japan 1.27 10 82 1.37 9 75 5.54 31107 Renmin University of China China 1.27 3 - - - 198 1.49 8108 Southern Medical University China 1.23 4 370 0.09 2 197 1.50 9109 Waseda University Japan 1.22 8 106 1.00 6 71 5.92 28110 Huazhong Agricultural University China 1.21 6 548 0.02 2 132 2.46 13111 National Centre for Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) Japan 1.20 4 - - - 97 3.79 12112 National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) Japan 1.18 3 - - - 226 1.24 4113 Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) Japan 1.17 8 63 1.81 8 74 5.59 30114 National Cheng Kung University Taiwan 1.17 5 395 0.08 2 209 1.38 9115 Shizuoka University Japan 1.17 4 373 0.09 1 168 1.88 8116 Shiga University of Medical Science Japan 1.16 5 351 0.11 3 191 1.54 14117 Northeast Normal University China 1.15 5 272 0.17 2 217 1.32 7118 Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Malaysia 1.07 2 - - - 242 1.07 2119 Griffith University Australia 1.05 6 85 1.31 5 67 6.13 27120 Kansai Medical University Japan 1.05 2 111 0.89 1 153 2.10 5121 Yunnan University China 1.03 4 132 0.69 3 170 1.80 9122 Nankai University China 1.02 7 75 1.54 7 83 4.98 21123 St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research (SVI) Australia 1.02 2 281 0.17 2 207 1.40 6124 Osaka Prefecture University Japan 1.01 3 71 1.66 5 109 3.25 13125= Panasonic Corporation Japan 1.00 1 - - - 201 1.44 3125= Shanxi University China 1.00 1 - - - 223 1.25 2125= Central China Normal University China 1.00 1 - - - 237 1.10 3128 Ewha Womans University South Korea 1.00 8 76 1.53 8 69 6.05 29129 Women’s and Children’s Hospital Australia 0.99 5 470 0.04 1 139 2.33 14130 Chungnam National University (CNU) South Korea 0.97 4 - - - 161 1.98 9131 Kanazawa University Japan 0.97 4 127 0.76 2 88 4.66 15132 National Institute of Informatics (NII) Japan 0.97 3 126 0.77 2 110 3.18 12133 National Tsing Hua University Taiwan 0.96 6 72 1.65 6 114 3.11 16134 QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Australia 0.96 27 59 1.94 17 54 7.97 88135 Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) South Korea 0.96 3 - - - 162 1.95 6136 Chungbuk National University South Korea 0.96 3 297 0.14 2 232 1.14 6137 Tokyo Women's Medical University Japan 0.96 2 196 0.36 4 142 2.27 13138 Curtin University Australia 0.95 9 124 0.78 3 103 3.40 21139 Saitama Medical University Japan 0.95 3 140 0.66 3 160 2.02 13140 Kyoto Prefectural University Japan 0.94 1 141 0.65 2 175 1.74 4141 The University of Wollongong Australia 0.94 4 113 0.85 5 127 2.52 13142 Wuhan University of Technology China 0.93 1 - - - 148 2.20 3143 South China Agricultural University China 0.92 2 193 0.38 1 219 1.30 3144 Anhui Medical University China 0.92 8 104 1.03 7 77 5.45 25145 International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) India 0.92 1 349 0.11 1 172 1.77 4146 Kagoshima University Japan 0.92 4 246 0.22 2 215 1.34 8147 Nagoya Institute of Technology Japan 0.88 2 - - - 241 1.08 3148 Beijing University of Chemical Technology China 0.87 3 - - - 288 0.87 3149 Fujita Health University Japan 0.87 2 305 0.14 2 155 2.09 11150 National Kaohsiung Normal University (NKNU) Taiwan 0.85 1 - - - 291 0.85 1151 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) China 0.84 4 44 2.51 5 51 9.07 17152 Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) South Korea 0.83 2 445 0.06 1 286 0.89 3153 Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) South Korea 0.82 1 - - - 300 0.82 144 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPI2013 2012 2009–2013RANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES154 The National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) Japan 0.82 1 152 0.59 1 205 1.41 2155 Lanzhou University China 0.80 4 158 0.56 3 189 1.56 11156 Gyeongsang National University South Korea 0.80 2 684 0.01 1 253 1.02 5157 Deakin University Australia 0.80 1 197 0.35 2 221 1.28 5158 Bureau of Meteorology Australia 0.79 5 234 0.24 3 206 1.40 12159 High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) Japan 0.79 3 118 0.83 3 133 2.46 13160 Nagoya City University Japan 0.77 4 192 0.38 4 194 1.51 12161 Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy (DNL) China 0.77 2 311 0.14 1 279 0.90 3162 Qingdao University China 0.76 2 379 0.09 2 280 0.90 6163 The University of Newcastle Australia 0.76 4 210 0.32 4 152 2.11 16164 Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) South Korea 0.76 3 486 0.04 2 136 2.42 12165 Doshisha University Japan 0.75 1 261 0.19 1 186 1.58 6166 Tokyo University of Agriculture Japan 0.75 1 - - - 224 1.24 3167 Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience (OIIB) Japan 0.74 4 304 0.14 2 257 1.01 8168 Yanshan University China 0.73 1 - - - 319 0.73 1169 Kyung Hee University South Korea 0.73 8 83 1.36 6 113 3.11 21170 Garvan Institute Australia 0.70 5 155 0.57 4 102 3.47 20171 Southwest University China 0.70 4 670 0.01 1 176 1.73 7172 Southeast University China 0.70 4 248 0.21 3 111 3.15 12173 Novogene Bioinformatics Institute China 0.70 2 - - - 331 0.70 2174 National Institute of Genetics (NIG) Japan 0.69 4 112 0.87 3 112 3.11 17175 Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) South Korea 0.69 1 - - - 335 0.69 1176 University of Ulsan South Korea 0.68 5 157 0.57 7 211 1.37 15177 Chinese National Human Genome Centre at Shanghai (CHGC) China 0.67 2 178 0.46 1 167 1.88 10178 Shenyang Normal University China 0.67 3 283 0.17 1 171 1.79 6179 Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS) China 0.66 4 - - - 150 2.15 7180 Queensland University of Technology Australia 0.66 4 123 0.78 3 187 1.56 11181 Gakushuin University Japan 0.65 3 136 0.67 2 204 1.41 7182= International Superconductivity Technology Centre (ISTEC) Japan 0.64 1 - - - 243 1.07 2182= Jiangnan University China 0.64 1 - - - 348 0.64 1184 Shinshu University Japan 0.63 4 208 0.32 5 177 1.70 14185 Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) South Korea 0.63 5 452 0.05 1 126 2.52 15186 Pasteur Institute South Korea 0.62 1 - - - 357 0.62 1187 Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Japan 0.62 6 92 1.19 7 101 3.57 22188 National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) India 0.61 1 - - - 358 0.61 1189 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Japan 0.61 3 209 0.32 3 118 2.98 11190 Linyi University China 0.61 2 194 0.38 1 236 1.11 4191 The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science Japan 0.60 6 102 1.05 3 100 3.59 19192 The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd New Zealand 0.60 1 - - - 317 0.75 4193 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia 0.60 3 - - - 369 0.60 3194 Beijing Computational Science Research Center China 0.60 3 - - - 370 0.60 3195 Massey University New Zealand 0.59 3 - - - 138 2.35 6196 Murdoch Childrens Research Institute Australia 0.58 3 - - - 372 0.58 3197 Capital Medical University (CMU) China 0.57 3 316 0.13 3 240 1.08 12198 Japan Fine Ceramics Centre (JFCC) Japan 0.57 4 387 0.08 1 227 1.24 9199 Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Australia 0.56 3 219 0.26 1 203 1.43 5200 Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Australia 0.55 2 540 0.03 1 276 0.91 6All corrected CC scores are shown to two decimalplaces. Unless indicated, scores that appear tied may bedifferentiated by a third (or higher) decimal place.Rankings are based upon primary research paperspublished in 2013 as Articles, Letters and BriefCommunications. Research reviews are excluded.This table is based on the most recent data available as of1 March, 2014. Owing to continual refinements of the datathe figures in the database are liable to change and mightdiffer from those printed in previous supplements.NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 45

NPIASIA-PACIFICTop institutions by journalThe Nature Publishing Index comprises 18 journals. The flagship journal is Nature, founded in 1869, and there are many subsidiarypublications, including one online-only journal, Nature Communications. Nature and Nature Communications are multidisciplinary,whereas most others fall into one of the following four subject categories: life sciences, chemistry, physical sciences and earth andenvironmental sciences. The exception is Nature Chemical Biology, which falls under the first two categories. Below are the data for 2013showing the top five institutions for each journal, along with their 2012 rank. ■XX%The percentage of the Asia-Pacific NPI represented by each journal is shown,while the icons illustrate which scientific areas are covered by each publication.15.6%NATURERANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 The University of Tokyo Japan 10.21 25 42 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 10.02 29 13 RIKEN Japan 5.11 15 64 Tsinghua University China 3.52 5 25 Kyoto University Japan 3.48 14 51.7%NATURE CHEMISTRYRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Kyoto University Japan 1.56 2 182 Nagoya University Japan 1.40 2 63 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 1.16 3 154 Dalian University of Technology (DUT) China 1.00 1 315 Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore 1.00 1 9NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGYRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Seoul National UniversitySouthKorea1.58 2 -2 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 1.41 3 631.2%Korea Advanced Institute of Science andTechnology (KAIST)SouthKorea1.00 1 -4 BGI China 0.84 3 15 RIKEN Japan 0.80 1 -3.0%NATURE CLIMATE CHANGERANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1The Commonwealth Scientific andAustralia 3.48 11 2Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)2 The University of Tokyo Japan 1.78 4 153 The University of Western Australia (UWA) Australia 1.61 3 54 The University of Queensland (UQ) Australia 1.23 7 35 James Cook University (JCU) Australia 1.16 4 12.0%NATURE CELL BIOLOGYRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 2.56 5 12 Kansai Medical University Japan 1.00 1 -3 National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore 0.96 3 94 Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) China 0.86 2 65 Tohoku University Japan 0.75 1 1544.3%NATURE COMMUNICATIONSRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 31.80 78 22 The University of Tokyo Japan 27.02 57 13 RIKEN Japan 11.97 38 54 Tohoku University Japan 11.95 24 105 National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore 11.49 24 61. 1 %NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGYRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 The University of Tokyo Japan 2.50 3 62 University of Tsukuba Japan 1.00 1 133 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 0.91 1 44Agency for Science, Technology andResearch (A*STAR)Singapore 0.85 1 -5Korea Advanced Institute of Science Southand Technology (KAIST)Korea0.71 1 -7.4%NATURE GENETICSRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 3.71 8 42 BGI China 3.44 10 13 The University of Tokyo Japan 2.48 9 74 Kyoto University Japan 1.59 9 385National Institute of AgrobiologicalSciences (NIAS)Japan 1.52 3 -46 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPI3.1%NATURE GEOSCIENCERANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 2.57 6 32 Australian National University (ANU) Australia 2.09 7 83Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Scienceand Technology (JAMSTEC)Japan 1.79 3 14 The University of Tokyo Japan 1.25 4 45 China University of Geosciences China 1.18 2 142.6%NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGYRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore 1.72 3 -2 The University of Tokyo Japan 1.50 3 53 National Taiwan University Taiwan 1.17 2 -4National Institute for Material Science(NIMS)Japan 1.12 2 -5 Indian Institute of Science India 1.00 1 -2.7%NATURE IMMUNOLOGYRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 The University of Melbourne Australia 3.99 12 12The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute ofMedical Research (WEHI)Australia 2.66 8 23 Monash University Australia 2.37 6 74 Osaka University Japan 2.04 3 175 The University of New South Wales Australia 1.39 3 -2.4%NATURE NEUROSCIENCERANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 The University of Tokyo Japan 2.27 3 22 Osaka University Japan 1.09 3 423National Institute of Advanced IndustrialScience and Technology (AIST)Japan 1.00 1 -4 The University of Queensland (UQ) Australia 1.00 1 415 Fudan University China 0.95 3 -3.1%NATURE MATERIALSRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 The University of Tokyo Japan 1.84 4 22 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 1.81 6 33 Nanjing University China 1.51 3 -4 Tohoku University Japan 1.21 5 65 Hokkaido University Japan 1.09 2 23NATURE PHOTONICSRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 The University of Tokyo Japan 2.98 6 52 Kyoto University Japan 1.67 2 23 Australian National University (ANU) Australia 1.64 4 -4 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 1.56 3 952.3%Korea Advanced Institute of Scienceand Technology (KAIST)SouthKorea1.13 2 -2.9%NATURE MEDICINERANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Southern Medical University China 1.00 1 -2 The University of Hong Kong (HKU) China 0.80 2 -3 Keio University Japan 0.73 1 24 Pasteur InstituteSouthKorea0.62 1 -5 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 0.55 2 -2.0%NATURE PHYSICSRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Nanjing University China 1.50 2 -2 NTT Group Japan 1.41 2 93 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 1.21 4 84 National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore 1.12 2 125 The University of Tokyo Japan 1.03 3 10.9%NATURE METHODSRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 The University of Tokyo Japan 1.05 2 82Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR)India 1.00 1 -3 Peking University China 0.88 1 114 Kyoto University Japan 0.82 1 -5 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 0.73 1 11.8%NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGYRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES 2012 RANK1 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 1.83 4 12 Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore 1.20 4 -3 Osaka University Japan 1.11 2 -4 Peking University China 1.02 2 45 Hokkaido University Japan 0.78 2 12NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 47

NPIASIA-PACIFICGlobal Top 1002013 2012 2009–2013CORRECTEDCOUNTRANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY (CC) ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES1 Harvard University USA 158.99 387 1 150.25 369 1 695.15 16292 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) USA 84.68 228 4 60.58 199 4 278.51 8443 Stanford University USA 80.21 170 2 76.42 161 2 322.62 6674 National Institutes of Health (NIH) USA 73.46 181 6 43.82 143 5 271.17 7325 Max Planck Society Germany 70.65 216 3 64.53 188 3 316.69 8776 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China 63.15 165 14 36.38 93 16 147.70 3997 French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) France 59.37 297 5 46.81 250 6 217.89 10918 The University of Tokyo Japan 57.19 128 9 39.72 116 7 206.76 5099 University of California San Francisco (UCSF) USA 49.81 107 17 34.13 96 8 197.00 47210 University of Cambridge UK 48.52 151 8 39.80 137 9 173.86 57911 University of Oxford UK 42.70 136 13 36.97 131 14 158.84 54812 Columbia University in the City of New York USA 41.28 108 15 34.76 89 11 167.05 40713 Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres Germany 41.23 202 19 28.51 134 19 131.13 65414 University College London UK 37.29 121 38 16.21 79 28 106.00 36715 University of Michigan USA 36.07 88 21 25.89 76 21 127.65 36416 University of California San Diego (UCSD) USA 35.75 105 12 37.44 95 10 169.37 44017 University of Pennsylvania USA 35.70 101 27 21.24 58 23 122.05 33518 University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) USA 35.48 93 20 26.97 82 22 124.87 36019 University of Washington USA 33.52 110 7 40.97 102 15 155.67 45120 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) Switzerland 32.29 62 43 14.68 41 42 72.24 17621 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) Switzerland 32.17 93 10 39.53 74 18 134.90 30822 Cornell University USA 31.44 91 33 19.54 67 24 118.77 34123 University of California Berkeley USA 30.86 97 11 38.98 100 12 165.30 43124 The Johns Hopkins University USA 30.23 92 18 32.82 94 17 138.79 41025 Yale University USA 29.99 78 16 34.46 82 13 163.15 37226 Imperial College London UK 24.67 97 76 9.38 62 41 73.00 31927 Kyoto University Japan 23.57 58 25 22.47 55 26 106.63 24828 University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign USA 22.73 41 34 18.68 41 31 94.02 17029 The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) USA 22.41 51 26 22.20 44 27 106.06 22330 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas USA 22.23 42 44 14.61 32 40 77.01 16031 RIKEN Japan 21.88 81 32 19.57 80 30 94.39 32732 Northwestern University USA 21.83 47 22 25.34 54 25 113.51 23233 New York University USA 21.77 58 35 18.53 47 34 85.32 22334 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center USA 21.72 61 39 16.17 44 39 81.62 20635 Medical Research Council (MRC) UK 21.66 48 40 16.12 38 36 83.88 17936 California Institute of Technology (Caltech) USA 21.55 61 24 24.44 66 20 128.02 30037 University of Toronto Canada 21.47 94 37 17.15 63 29 101.20 35538 Princeton University USA 21.20 56 30 20.39 44 32 87.60 19339 University of Minnesota USA 20.33 51 47 13.89 47 55 52.95 18640 The University of Texas at Austin USA 19.54 44 42 14.91 43 49 60.07 14941 Osaka University Japan 17.98 40 36 18.22 54 35 84.05 21442 University of Chicago USA 17.92 55 23 24.88 54 38 82.53 22343 Washington University in St. Louis USA 17.83 64 28 20.85 72 33 87.26 29044 Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Germany 17.75 74 70 9.75 52 53 56.63 28045 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory USA 17.62 62 48 12.97 73 45 65.45 29746 National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore 17.61 62 74 9.41 47 87 39.64 17547 Tohoku University Japan 17.41 49 87 8.55 27 56 52.63 15048 European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Germany 17.39 57 68 9.98 38 59 50.20 16949 Delft University of Technology Netherlands 17.14 29 151 5.14 12 100 35.42 7050 The University of Manchester UK 16.47 45 98 7.75 34 79 42.60 15548 | NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC

ASIA-PACIFICNPI2013 2012 2009–2013RANK INSTITUTION COUNTRY CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES RANK CC ARTICLES51 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill USA 16.27 53 41 15.24 52 48 60.45 22452 Weizmann Institute of Science Israel 15.53 28 29 20.54 34 46 62.15 13053 The University of Edinburgh UK 15.43 58 53 11.99 52 52 56.97 24354 The University of Melbourne Australia 15.33 69 63 10.78 48 70 44.02 20555 Duke University USA 15.23 51 31 20.03 67 37 82.62 24756 The Rockefeller University USA 15.18 33 59 11.35 31 43 70.20 15257 University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) China 15.11 37 72 9.46 17 86 39.67 8758 Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) USA 15.05 43 80 9.21 23 92 38.12 10359 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey USA 14.80 44 58 11.48 34 47 61.43 16560 Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) Spain 14.51 80 60 10.94 55 60 50.06 26361 McGill University Canada 14.47 55 97 7.78 43 61 48.41 18862 IBM Corporation USA 14.07 20 114 6.66 11 85 39.71 5963 The University of British Columbia Canada 13.91 52 73 9.42 36 50 59.51 19764 Tsinghua University China 13.85 39 83 8.99 34 88 39.39 11665 Utrecht University Netherlands 13.79 64 52 12.08 46 65 47.48 20566 University of Bristol UK 13.67 48 51 12.30 41 57 52.58 18667 Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University USA 13.59 34 133 5.84 23 75 43.52 12168 University of Wisconsin-Madison USA 13.54 32 62 10.80 31 44 68.76 18869 University of Zurich (UZH) Switzerland 13.54 47 55 11.74 41 63 47.88 18770 University of Colorado Boulder USA 13.22 44 57 11.60 37 51 58.00 15971 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital USA 13.15 30 93 8.12 19 78 43.11 9672 Australian National University (ANU) Australia 12.64 33 94 8.10 21 105 34.91 9473 Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore 12.59 37 217 3.57 14 168 22.28 7474 Technical University Munich (TUM) Germany 12.51 60 89 8.32 29 91 38.54 18975 National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) France 12.40 118 61 10.93 92 54 54.03 44176 Baylor College of Medicine USA 12.37 36 67 10.26 38 69 44.05 15477 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) South Korea 12.12 23 195 4.03 15 135 26.93 6678 University of California Davis USA 12.07 39 91 8.20 41 67 46.69 15979 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center USA 11.96 41 50 12.56 33 62 48.05 15880 University of Tübingen Germany 11.48 35 123 6.19 21 121 30.95 11181 Peking University China 11.16 48 84 8.72 35 113 33.15 13182 University of Basel Switzerland 10.99 43 124 6.19 22 130 28.34 11483 University of Southern California (USC) USA 10.97 48 82 9.00 47 74 43.65 19084 Argonne National Laboratory USA 10.92 35 90 8.21 24 106 34.78 11485 University of Hawai'i at Manoa USA 10.90 45 221 3.52 23 153 24.12 10686 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) USA 10.85 28 180 4.44 20 80 42.53 10587 BGI China 10.76 34 119 6.30 20 152 24.14 7588 Nagoya University Japan 10.68 33 65 10.50 30 82 41.41 11789 University of Copenhagen Denmark 10.64 77 64 10.59 54 77 43.34 25290 University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) USA 10.64 30 56 11.68 28 68 45.77 11391 The University of Queensland (UQ) Australia 10.62 50 106 7.08 41 109 34.22 15992 University of California Irvine (UCI) USA 10.62 38 85 8.67 36 89 39.23 13893 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) USA 10.57 26 75 9.41 66 98 37.11 55194 Karolinska Institute Sweden 10.31 59 137 5.68 32 111 33.47 19395 University of Groningen Netherlands 10.26 37 95 8.02 37 118 31.46 13096 The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) Spain 10.24 20 168 4.64 10 179 21.02 4697 The Pennsylvania State University USA 10.21 36 79 9.22 35 72 43.87 15798 National Research Council (CNR) Italy 10.04 57 92 8.13 49 93 38.01 22499 Aarhus University (AU) Denmark 9.94 39 131 5.86 33 114 33.01 137100 University of Pittsburgh USA 9.89 39 45 14.26 44 66 46.76 176All CC scores are shown to two decimal places. Unlessindicated, scores that appear tied may be differentiated by athird (or higher) decimal place.Rankings are based upon primary research papers publishedin 2013 as Articles, Letters and Brief Communications.Research reviews are excluded.This table is based on the most recent data available as of1 March, 2014. Owing to continual refinements of the datathe figures in the database are liable to change and mightdiffer from those printed in previous supplements.NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC | 49

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATURENagoya UniversityWORLD-LEADING RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONFounded in 1939 as one of Japan’s sevenprestigious imperial universities, NagoyaUniversity has expanded far beyond itsoriginal roots as a medical training collegein the 1870s. The university todayis renowned for its formidable researchachievements across the natural andphysical sciences. No fewer than four ofthe ten Japanese scientists to be awardeda Nobel Prize in the 21st century are affiliatedwith Nagoya University: two NobelLaureates in Chemistry, Ryoji Noyori andOsamu Shimomura, and two NobelLaureates in Physics, Toshihide Maskawaand Makoto Kobayashi.Situated in Central Japan — in a regionthat has the greatest concentration ofmanufacturing industries in the country— Nagoya University has strong linkswith some of the world’s leading automotivecompanies such as Toyota MotorCorporation, and the university supportsbasic research for the aerospace, ceramicsand machinery industries. Technologytransfer and research collaboration activitiesbetween the university and partnersin Japan and overseas have transformedthe city of Nagoya into a vibrant hub forresearch and innovation.In August 2013, the university was selectedto be part of the Program for Promotingthe Enhancement of Research Universitieslaunched by the Japanese Ministry ofEducation, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (MEXT). The project focuseson the development of research supportstructures including the establishment of aResearch Administrator System in the university,as well as promoting interdisciplinaryresearch and strengthening the university’sglobal competitiveness.Various initiatives spurred by theHamaguchi Plan, brainchild of universitypresident Michinari Hamaguchi, havebrought in equipment, established newinterdisciplinary programmes and institutes,and forged industrial collaborations.Cultivating research expertise andleadershipInterdisciplinary approaches are anintegral part of cutting-edge researchat Nagoya University. The Institute forAdvanced Research (IAR) was establishedin 2002 to produce internationally recognisedacademic research of the highestcalibre.“We provide one of the bestresearch environments in the world,”says Hamaguchi. In addition, Hamaguchiexplains that the university secures outstandingfaculty members and encouragespostdoctoral fellows to enhance theirskills through initiatives such as the YoungLeaders Cultivation (YLC) programme.Launched in 2010, the YLC programmehas supported young researchers in theMichinari Hamaguchi, president ofNagoya Universityfields of engineering, biosciences, materialsscience, mathematics, law and economics.The Institute of TransformativeBio-Molecules (ITbM), launched in 2013,brings together some of the best mindsin synthetic chemistry, catalysis chemistry,systems biology, and plant and animalscience to develop innovative functionalmolecules, which offer promising solutionsto global food, biomass and energy issues.The Kobayashi-Maskawa Institute forthe Origin of Particles and the Universe(KMI) is another centre of excellence dedicatedto exploring new frontiers of modernphysics beyond the Standard Model.Nagoya University is now intensifyingits efforts to cultivate leadership and attractsome of the brightest minds throughits Leading Graduate Schools programme,which now encompasses a wide range offields across the sciences and humanities.The newly launched Graduate Programfor Real-world Data Circulation LeadersAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICencourages students to explore the interfaceof innovation and socioeconomicmodels based on a multi- disciplinaryresearch approach. The Women LeadersProgram to Promote Well-being in Asiafocuses on gender equality issues andoffers high-level training to empower futureleaders in critical areas such as globalhealth and education.In the realm of sustainability andgreen sciences, the Integrative GraduateEducation and Research Program in GreenNatural Science is nurturing the next generationof leaders who will advance renewableenergy technologies and engage inglobal discussion of environmental issues.The Leadership Development Programfor Space Exploration and Research providespractical training that will enablestudents to design and develop satelliteinstruments, and to lead and implementspace programmes. The Cross-BorderLegal Institution Design programme isfostering leadership in legislation by takinga fresh, interdisciplinary approach tolegal education and training. All of NagoyaUniversity’s graduate programmes enablestudents to gain practical experience bytackling real-world problems.A global perspectiveTo strengthen collaborations with universitiesoverseas, Nagoya University hasestablished five education centres in Asiaspecialising in the Japanese law system tocultivate legal experts in each respectivecountry and also runs a programme totrain health service professionals.As part of the Japanese government’sGlobal 30 Project, which aims to facilitateinternational exchange and collaboration,Nagoya University’s flagship departmentsoffer English-taught programmes at boththe undergraduate and graduate level.The university is welcoming an increasingnumber of international students, whonow make up approximately a tenth ofthe university’s enrolment.“By creating an environment in whichstudents can communicate with peoplefrom different backgrounds, they can notonly broaden their perspectives but alsoengage in interdisciplinary research to solveproblems that could not be addressed byconventional methods,” says Hamaguchi.The university’s internationalisation activitiesare therefore closely linked to thedrive to promote cross-disciplinary researchand inspire future leaders “who can take aholistic view and think creatively beyondthe bounds of traditional disciplines — thisis very important for the creation of newknowledge and ideas,” says Hamaguchi.Collaboration and innovationInterdisciplinary approaches are an integralpart of cutting-edge research atNagoya University’s Graduate School ofPharmaceutical Sciences and the newCenter of Innovation (COI), where researchersare conducting collaborative projects toinfluence society and mobility to realise anactive and joyful lifestyle. Research at theCOI is advancing technologies linked withsocial systems through pioneering effortsin a wide range of research areas, such asengineering, medical science, informationscience, brain science, science of art andsocial innovation design science. Beinglocated in Nagoya, the world centre ofmanufacturing, the university has a strongwill to contribute to innovation.Nagoya University’s state-of-the-artfacilities are also attracting widespreadinterest from both researchers andprivate companies. The High VoltageElectron Microscope Laboratory enablesresearchers to observe chemical reactionswith unprecedented precision. At theNagoya University Synchrotron RadiationResearch Center and the newly establishedAichi Synchrotron Radiation Center,researchers from Japan and around theglobe are exploring the frontiers of nanoscienceand nanotechnologies.With world-leading capabilities in researchand development across multiplefields, Nagoya University is continuing toevolve as a thriving hub of knowledge creationand innovation. “We provide a free andvibrant academic culture that encouragesstudents to think logically and creatively,”says Hamaguchi. “Our goal is to supportmultifaceted research programmes and tocultivate the leaders of tomorrow.”www.nagoya-u.ac.jp/enAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATUREA fresh approach to biomolecular discoveryNagoya University has world-class capabilities in integrating synthetic chemistry with systems biology to develop new, innovativebiomolecules.The Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), launched in April 2013,is part of the World Premier InternationalResearch Center Initiative (WPI) supportedby Japan’s Ministry of Education,Culture, Science and Technology (MEXT).The overarching goal of the ITbM is to acceleratethe development of useful, biobasedcompounds with the potential torevolutionise healthcare, food, energy andenvironmental sciences.Research at the ITbM focuses on the developmentof novel, ‘transformative’ moleculeswith finely tuned properties that canenhance biological functions such as theproductivity of plant crops, advance thedevelopment of real-time bio-imagingsystems, and lead to the discovery of newcatalysts for organic synthesis.The ITbM offers a uniquely integrated,cross-disciplinary research environment.Organic synthetic chemists, plant andanimal biologists, and theoretical chemistswork side by side in the Institute’s interactive‘Mix Labs’ specifically designed to facilitateinterdisciplinary learning and exchange.The Institute has state-of-the-art live-cellimaging facilities, a mass spectrometry andnuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopycentre, as well as a chemical-libraryscreening centre to speed the process ofidentifying promising new compounds.The ten Principal Investigators (PIs)at the Institute have expertise in fieldsspanning synthetic chemistry, physicalorganic chemistry, structural biology,bio-imaging, developmental genetics,agricultural science, applied biotechnology,and molecular modeling. The ITbMhas set up a Cooperative-PI (Co-PI)system, whereby young researchers arepaired with overseas PIs to extend thereach of the ITbM’s activities and promoteinternationalisation.The ITbM has strong collaborative linkswith ETH-Zürich in Switzerland, Queen’sUniversity in Canada, and the Universityof Washington in the United States — thethree institutes affiliated with the ITbM’soverseas PIs. The ITbM has also establishedcollaborative research agreementswith the National Science FoundationCenter for Selective C-H Functionalizationin the United States, and the RIKEN Centerfor Sustainable Resource Science in Japan.All postdoctoral researchers at the ITbMare supervised by two PIs from differentfields in order to encourage breadthof knowledge and critical thinking. TheInstitute offers a stimulating, internationalenvironment, with interactive seminarsand workshops held throughout theyear. Most of the work at the ITbM isconducted in English and Japanese. TheAdministration Department offers bilingualsupport to international researchersand students. The highly interdisciplinarynature of the research carried outat the ITbM encourages wide interaction,ongoing learning and professionaldevelopment.One of the core objectives of theInstitute set out by Kenichiro Itami, directorof the ITbM, is to ‘attract top researchersworldwide and nurture the next generationof cutting-edge research, unrestrictedby the bounds of traditional disciplines.’By exemplifying a new, barrier-less approachto research in Japan and integratingthe exciting possibilities of moleculardesign and applied biochemistry, the ITbMis now making its mark on the world stage.Building on Nagoya University’s traditionalstrengths in synthetic chemistry and systemsbiology, the Institute is ideally positionedto make unprecedented discoveriesin biomolecular research and drive thedevelopment of beneficial innovations forhuman health and the environment.WPI - Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM)www.itbm.nagoya-u.ac.jp/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFIC注 意 !ブレーキ最 近 の 健 康 状 態最 近 の 健 康 状 態Innovation for allA commitment to developing end user-focused technologies that benefit human health and society forms the basis of NagoyaUniversity’s innovative research strategies.The designation of Nagoya University asa Center of Innovation (COI) by Japan’sMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports,Science and Technology (MEXT) is a testamentto the university’s outstandingcommitment to advancing innovativeresearch and ideas to improve humanhealth and quality of life.Nagoya University researchers are engagedin developing novel, user-focusedsolutions and technologies across a widespectrum of fields — from engineering,medical science and information scienceto neuroscience and emerging fieldssuch as the science of art, and social innovationand design. In addition to tacklingfundamental R&D challenges, newtechnologies are leading to exciting newpossibilities and capabilities in personalisedhealthcare and social structures.“Our vision is for new innovations toenable people to enjoy active, fulfillinglives,” says Nagahiro Saito, professorand presidential advisor at the MaterialsScience and Engineering Department,Nagoya University Graduate School ofEngineering. With the development ofnew detection technologies, for example,it is now possible to monitor subtlechanges in human health, thought,and emotions. State-of-the-art informationscience technologies can providevaluable risk-mapping tools to maketransportation systems safer and moreefficient. These unprecedented advancesare changing ways of life at both the individualand the society level.Improving mobility is a key area ofresearch at Nagoya University that is notonly limited only to transportation systemsbut also applies to responding tothe needs of Japan’s rapidly aging population.“Mobility in this sense can provideincreased personal independence andbetter quality of life for the elderly,” explainsSaito. “Innovative solutions canhelp people to improve communication,and enhance social networks and care.”The acceleration of technology transferthrough collaboration betweenuniversities and industries is thereforevital to nurture seminal research andbring innovative applications to market.Saito notes that “new and varied typesof society–academia–industry collaborationswill provide real solutions to societalproblems”, adding that the role ofthe university will become increasinglyimportant in the birth of ideas and thedevelopment of prototypes, as well asthe evaluation of performance, safetyand consumer acceptability.“By addressing simple challengesdiligently, it is possible to address larger,more complex issues,” says Saito, whohimself investigates carbon catalysts todevelop new molecular technologies.He advises young researchers not to losesight of the connections between theirinvestigations and the wider world.Nagoya University was selected byMEXT as one of twelve COIs comprisingtop universities and institutes nationwidein October 2013. The COI Program is oneof the main funding programmes underthe Center of Innovation Science andTechnology-based Radical Innovationand Entrepreneurship Program (COISTREAM), which is seen as a key pillar ofJapan’s efforts to promote sustainabilityand economic revitalisation. The COIinitiative will undoubtedly play a majorpart in Japan’s ability to address the keychallenges of an aging population, whilestrengthening its international competitivenessin innovative research and commercialisation.Center of Innovation (COI)www.coi.nagoya-u.ac.jp/Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATURETop-level doctoral education and researchSupported by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Society for thePromotion of Science (JSPS), Nagoya University’s Leading Graduate Schools programme is dedicated to fostering innovation andcreativity, and inspiring the next generation of leaders in government, academia and industry.Thinking greenLaunched in December 2011, theIntegrative Graduate Education andResearch (IGER) Program in Green NaturalSciences fosters a multidisciplinary approachfor training the next generationof global environmental leaders. Includedin the programme of foundational sciencedisciplines are chemistry, biologyand physics, taught by outstanding facultyfrom the Nagoya University GraduateSchools of Science, Engineering, andBioagricultural Sciences.Educational support is also provided byvisiting lecturers from institutes includingJapan’s Institute for Molecular Science,the National Institute of Basic Biology,RIKEN, the National Institute of AdvancedIndustrial Science and Technology, theToyota Central R&D Laboratories, and theToyota Physical and Chemical ResearchInstitute, as well as overseas partner universities.The IGER programme providesopportunities for students to engage inface-to-face interactions with workingscientists and industry leaders, offering aneffective platform for education, researchtraining and recruitment.The programme is primarily designedto encourage a balance of both academicand industry-based skills, with opportunitiesfor students to attend seminars tostimulate discussion and collaboration,as well as undertake English-languagetraining and internships. Students receiveguidance through evaluations and feedbackas part of a ‘Portfolio’ system, aimedat broadening future career paths.Gender equality is an integral part ofthe programme. A dedicated ‘Women inScience Team’ comprising around 20 eminentfemale scientists actively encouragesyoung female students to become worldclassscientific leaders through professionaldevelopment seminars and careeradvice. Women make up around a quarterof the total number of 263 students currentlyenrolled in the programme.The programme provides excellent opportunitiesfor those who wish to developleading-edge skills and deepen their researchexperiences. A number of financialsupport options are available on enquiry.The door is open to all graduates who havea spirit of kokorozashi — a determinationand vision to succeed in a fast paced andcompetitive environment, and to contributeto our understanding of critical issuesin the green natural sciences.Integrative GraduateEducation and ResearchProgram in Green NaturalScienceshttp://iger.bio.nagoya-u.ac.jp/index_e.phpLeadership in the legal sphereThe Cross-Border Legal Institution Designprogramme aims to cultivate legal expertswho can transcend the boundariesof disciplines, cultures and nations. “Tomake a workable transplantation of law, astrong understanding of donor and recipientcountries is essential,” says YoshiharuMatsuura, a professor at the Faculty ofLaw, Nagoya University. “This means thatexperts in legal transplantation must havein-depth knowledge of the two countriesconcerned and be able to work with expertsin various disciplines.”The idea of building relationshipswith partners across academia, industryand government is central to NagoyaUniversity’s increasing efforts to instilla culture of collaboration at all levels.“Traditionally, the study of law was an individualpursuit. In contrast, the professionaltraining provided by this programme isgroup-oriented,” says Matsuura. “Studentscan learn how to develop legislative plansas part of a team, and how to work asgood managers on cross-border projects.”Matsuura explains that the programmeenables students to gain practical experiencein legislative drafting andproblem-solving. In addition, studentsand faculty can invite guest speakers togive two-week seminars on topics of theirAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICTop-level doctoral education and researchForum at Nagoya University.choice. These seminars not only enablestudents to hone their skills in planningand communication but also broadentheir contacts and interactions with thewider community.On completion of the course, studentsbecome highly skilled professionals whocan make valuable contributions to thelegal and social frameworks in their respectivecountries. Matsuura adds: “Theprogramme encourages students to havea good command of at least one Asianlanguage. We provide special languageprogrammes for this purpose. Studentswill have a good command of English andone Asian language, which will help thembecome more effective in their work incross-border institutional transfer.”Cross-Border LegalInstitution Designwww.law.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~leading/en/index-e.htmlThe next generation of space explorersThe Leadership Development Programfor Space Exploration and Researchprovides students with a sound basis fortheir future careers in space science andtechnology. Through an interdisciplinaryprogramme of lectures combined withhands-on training, students can immersethemselves in the design and developmentof satellite instruments, as well asin planning and implementing variousprojects relating to ChubuSat, a microsatellitejointly developed by a group ofuniversities and aerospace industries ledby Nagoya University.The ChubuSat projects form an integralpart of the programme, not only bringingtogether teams of students who have differentskill sets and backgrounds, but alsoenabling individuals to broaden their perspectives,exchange ideas, and learn fromreal-world problem-solving situations.These projects are important in enablingstudents to develop effective projectmanagement skills.The programme aims to cultivatespace science professionals with aninternational outlook, and incorporatesa range of leadership developmentseminars and global leadership trainingcourses. Students can therefore developtheir communication and leadershipskills alongside their study of space science,observatories, the solar–terrestrialenvironment, advanced materials, signalprocessing and simulations.Students are encouraged to deepentheir experiences by undertaking internshipsat leading universities, researchinstitutes and companies. Most recently,students have participated in internshipsat overseas institutes including theDutch Institute for Fundamental EnergyResearch in Germany, INFN Gran SassoNational Laboratory in Italy, Institut deMécanique des Fluides de Toulouse inFrance, the Joint Institute for NuclearResearch in Russia, Stanford Universityin the USA, the Swiss Federal Institute ofTechnology in Switzerland, the Universityof York in the UK, and the WeizmannInstitute in Israel.The programme offers two types ofscholarship — full and basic — which arebased on rigorous performance evaluations.Students are welcome to take anyof the courses within the programmeregardless of the scholarship level.Leadership DevelopmentProgram for SpaceExploration and Researchwww.frontier.phys.nagoya-u.ac.jp/index-e.htmlAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

NATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICADVERTISEMENT FEATURETop-level doctoral education and researchExploring new horizonsThe PhD Professional: Gateway to Successin Frontier Asia programme provides ahands-on, field-oriented research experiencethat takes a multidisciplinaryapproach to leadership training. Theprogramme focuses on collaboration betweenJapan and ‘Frontier Asia’ countriesincluding Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand,Uzbekistan and Mongolia, with the goalof raising future leaders in the academic,industrial, governmental and non-profitsectors.To mark the official launch of the programmein October 2013, an opening ceremonywas held in Ulan Bator, Mongolia,and attended by Michinari Hamaguchi,president of Nagoya University, withguests including Tadayuki Hashimoto,chairman of IMB Japan, Kazuo Matsunaga,former Vice-Minister of Economy, Tradeand Industry, Takuo Kidokoro, former ambassadorto Mongolia, Nobumasa Tsutsui,chairman of Tokai Medical Products, andFumio Kawaguchi, former chairman ofChubu Electric Power. The inaugural gatheringpresented a unique opportunity forstudents to learn about real-world businessand development activities as experiencedby top leaders in their respectivefields.The first cohort of students took part in anine-day research excursion in Mongolia,which included a visit to a coal-fired electricitygenerating plant, as well as stayingovernight at a traditional Mongolian ger.Through such activities, students wereable to develop a deeper understandingof environmental and socioeconomicissues relating to agriculture, education,natural resources and renewable energy.The programme hosts interactive seminarswith some of the world’s top thinkersand leaders. Recent discussion sessionshave been held with guests includingToshihide Maskawa, Nobel Laureate inPhysics 2008, and Kiyotaka Akasaka, theformer United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and PublicInformation.Students can also take part in Japanesecultural experience programmes, for example,with visits to the Sano Art Museumin Shizuoka and the Tokugawa ArtMuseum in Nagoya. Future field researchprogrammes are planned in Thailand andCambodia in February, and Mongolia inMarch 2014.PhD Professional : Gatewayto Success in Frontier Asiawww.phdpro.provost.nagoya-u.ac.jp/eng/Inspiring women leaders of tomorrowAs a multicultural region with diverse traditionsand languages, Asia has a rich andcomplex history that continues to informand shape the present. Key issues suchas poverty and inequalities in health andgender continue to exist, despite Asia’sexplosive economic growth over the pastquarter century.Launched in 2013, the Women LeadersProgram to Promote Well-being in Asia isdesigned to address these critical issuesand foster women leaders who can makean impact in the areas of food, health, environment,social systems and education.“Diversity is the driving force of Asianinnovation,” says programme coordinatorHiroko Tsukamura, a professor atthe Graduate School of BioagriculturalSciences, who has also held a position asdirector at the Office for Gender Equalityand advisor to the President (genderequality) since 2006 at Nagoya University.Her commitment to and passion forthe promotion of gender equality hasbrought about the launch of this programme.“We aim to achieve well-beingin Asia through women’s initiatives thattranscend ethnicity, nationality, religion,and research fields.”The concept of well-being, Tsukamuraexplains, refers to “a state characterisedAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICTop-level doctoral education and researchby good physical, mental, social, andeconomic conditions, as well as the guaranteeof individual rights and personalfulfillment.” Enabling women to reachtheir leadership potential is an area ofparticular focus in Japan, where efforts toreduce the gender gap are intensifying.The pioneering programme providesstudents with practical skills and knowledgeacross a wide range of disciplines,and emphasises the value of learning inreal-world contexts. The programme willstart October 2014 and is slated to open toabout 20 students in its first year. Trainingand research opportunities at partner universitiesoverseas and internships in collaborationwith organisations such as theJapan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) are also available.“We welcome highly motivated and talentedyoung students,” says Tsukamura. “Toachieve sustainable well-being in Asia, theprogram aims to develop women leaderswith the ability to understand situationsfrom a comprehensive viewpoint, and whohave a high degree of professionalism and astrong sense of responsibility.”Women Leaders Program toPromote Well-being in Asiawww.well-being.provost.nagoya-u.ac.jp/eng/Real-world know-howNagoya University’s Graduate Schoolsof Information Science, Engineering,Medicine, and Economics have jointlylaunched a five-year Graduate Programfor Real-world Data Circulation.Encompassing the fields of engineering,information science, healthcare,and economics, the new programmeinvolves the study of real-world datato gain a deeper understanding of thedriving forces behind today’s innovations,technological developments,services, and industries, as well as theneeds and desires of society at large.With a focus on examining user-leddesign and development of productsand services, the new programme isaimed at fostering leaders in industry,academia and government whocan address the links and disparitiesbetween advanced technologies andsocial values.One of the programme’s distinguishingfeatures is the emphasison social values as the core principleof education. “Data in and of itselfgenerally refers to a set or series ofnumbers,” says Kazuya Takeda, professorof Information Science, NagoyaUniversity. “However, without examiningthe association between thosenumbers and the physical, social orbiological factors that yield them, valuableknowledge cannot be extracted.”Through a comprehensive programmeof lectures that covers the keyphases of data circulation — from theacquisition stage to the analysis andimplementation of real-world data —students can develop expertise in theirchosen disciplines, and gain practicalknowledge of Japanese industries andthe evolving socio-economic climate.The programme will also enable studentsto explore contemporary issuessuch as the global division of labour,production and consumption in developingcountries, and strategic researchin industrially advanced countries.For potential applicants, Takedaadvises: “Do not be afraid of failure.The various experiences that youwill have through this programmewill enable you to keep on learning.”The programme officially launches inApril 2014.Real-World Data CirculationLeaderswww.rwdc.is.nagoya-u.ac.jp/index-e.phpAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content